My career path towards clinical psychiatry began with my undergraduate studies in basic biological sciences at Stanford University. Fascinated by biochemistry and genetics, I enjoyed lab work in the field of molecular immunology. My true passions emerged while volunteering for the STOP AIDS project in San Francisco after I witnessed the devastating medical, emotional and legal impact of HIV.
Studying medicine at Columbia University, I found a burgeoning niche within HIV psychiatry that combined my interests in biochemistry, immunology and human behavior. I completed my residency at UCSF in psychiatry with a focus on providing treatment to those with HIV and other infectious diseases. I also completed a forensic psychiatry fellowship and am board certified in both adult psychiatry and forensic psychiatry.
I have practiced in University and clinic settings for 10 years, and have been an academic core faculty professor at UCSF, the University of Vermont, and Kaiser San Jose. I have now moved my care setting to a private practice to allow me to focus on health care at the individual level. My philosophy of care integrates a rigorous background on basic medicine with a passion for helping people rewrite their narrative from a place of strength.
I'm here to help you find, and navigate a pathway to help you grow as an individual and achieve your goals. I will help form a treatment plan with you that includes personalized medication, psychotherapy and overall health recommendations. Your personal history, medical history, genetics and microbiome are all considerations when I formulate your recommendations.
At the present time with Covid-19, I am primarily available via telepsychiatry. I use the county health recommendations to help guide best practices for safety. I am based out of Menlo Park, close to Stanford University, and arrangements can be made for outdoor social distanced sessions on a case-by-case basis.