I am a physician, engineer, teacher, entrepreneur, and community builder. My clinical practice with Frontier Psychiatry primarily serves rural areas including Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, and Alaska. Most of my time is dedicated to advancing patient care through health technology companies—making healthcare more accessible, affordable, less invasive, and personalized.
My journey to medicine was non-traditional. After studying electrical and computer engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, I worked in systems engineering for the US Navy on the DDG-1000 Zumwalt Class Destroyer until my experience as a Hodgkin's Lymphoma patient redirected my path. This led to a biomedical engineering degree at Johns Hopkins and a research fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital. There, I developed a novel MRI device for measuring lower leg muscle metabolism during exercise—a project that confirmed my passion for solving medical problems through engineering. Working on clinical studies, I experienced the doctor-patient relationship from both sides, ultimately deciding to become a physician engineer to address technical challenges while maintaining direct patient care.
During medical school at UMass, I established the Worcester Free Clinics Coalition and collaborated with VecnaCares to implement an electronic health record system. I also taught yoga for cancer patients, supported children with cancer through the UMASS Sidekicks program, and maintained my interests in reading and writing.
My fascination with the mind and brain guided me to psychiatry residency at University of Washington, followed by specialized Movement Disorder fellowship training including a focus on Behavioral Neurology. This equipped me to diagnose and treat patients with complex neurodegenerative disorders including early-onset Alzheimer's, Frontotemporal Dementia, Parkinson's Disease, Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, and Corticobasal Degeneration. After establishing a memory program at EvergreenHealth in Kirkland, WA, I transitioned fully to Frontier Psychiatry in Montana.
In my clinical work and life, humor is central to my approach—I use lighthearted observations to connect with patients and colleagues in our increasingly distracted world, bringing levity to difficult conversations and demonstrating that even in concerning situations, there can be reasons to smile.
Beyond my clinical and technological work, I strive to balance self-care and community building through a number of activities including any sport (especially mountaineering or any activity in nature), community service (usually environmental restoration), travel, and cooking.