Question: How long have you been with HonorHealth?
Answer: I have been with HonorHealth for a full year as of this month!
Q: At what point in your early life did you decide you wanted to go into a career in research?
A: When I was nine, my older sister was diagnosed with Type 1 Juvenile Diabetes. At the time she was diagnosed, we were living on Oakland, California, and after being hospitalized, it took a full year for her to be eligible to meet with an endocrinologist due to their high patient load. We learned that there was no cure, and from then on, I would hold book drives every summer to collect money to donate to research in the hopes of finding a cure for my sister. Her experience navigating this lifelong disease is what motivated me to work in healthcare and ultimately end up working in research.
Q: What is a work-related accomplishment you are proud of?
A: Though I’m still relatively new to research, I feel the part that I’m most proud of is knowing that I’m able to help more than just the patient sitting in front of me. I spent 14 years in sports medicine prior to transitioning to GI and Bariatrics, and it was always so rewarding seeing the impact of our care on each individual patient. Now that I’m in research, it’s really filled a new cup for me knowing that I am helping future patients beyond the ones that I can see.
Q: Why is it so important to encourage younger and diverse groups to pursue a career in research?
A: I feel that it’s important to encourage younger and diverse groups to gain new perspectives and promote growth and knowledge of this extremely rewarding career. Clinical research is the change that challenges healthcare norms, and it enables us to improve the outcome of future patients. It’s an integral part of healthcare that creates a positive impact on future generations, and that’s why it’s important to have those newer generations apart of the change they want to see.
Q: Is there anything else you would like to share about yourself?
A: I am an incredibly proud mother of 1-year-old twin daughters, a 4-year-old Mastiff, and a 7-year-old Shih-tzu mix. I also collect comic books, and my favorite character is Swamp Thing.
