Associate Member
Project Scientist
Department of Neurosurgery
David Geffen School of Medicine
University of California, Los Angeles
Associate Member
Assistant Clinical Professor
Department of Neurology
David Geffen School of Medicine
University of California, Los Angeles
Associate Member
Associate Professor in Residence
Director of Anxiety Disorders Research
Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences
David Geffen School of Medicine
University of California, Los Angeles
Personal Statement
My research focuses on understanding the pathophysiological basis of interoception, the process by which the nervous system senses internal body signals that are used to regulate bodily homeostasis. In addition, I investigate neuroscience-informed clinical applications of interoceptive interventions for disorders affecting physical or mental health. My interdisciplinary expertise harnesses methods from pharmacology, cognitive neuroscience, functional neuroimaging, electroencephalography, computational psychiatry, and behavioral clinical trials and applies them to 1) develop better methods for assessing interoception, and 2) answer basic and clinical questions in individuals with psychiatric disorders, including anxiety and eating disorders, and individuals with medical conditions, including cardiac arrhythmias. My work aims to determine how a better understanding of the pathophysiological basis of interoceptive symptoms can be translated clinically via the systematic testing of novel experimental therapeutics for these conditions. To accomplish these aims, I have integrated numerous methods to interrogate cardiovascular, respiratory, and gastrointestinal interoception across psychiatric and medical conditions, including the combination of pharmacological probes with functional magnetic resonance imaging (pharmaco-fMRI), combination of mechanosensory probes with electroencephalography (EEG) and computational modeling, and evaluation of non-pharmacologic interventions for anxiolysis (floatation-REST; Reduced Environmental Stimulation Therapy aka ‘float therapy’). My research projects have been NIH funded at the principal investigator level at every stage of my career (F31, R01 supplement, K23, R34, R01, and P20 subproject), as well as by private foundation and industry grants. Over the past 9 years I served as Director of Clinical Operations at the Laureate Institute for Brain Research (LIBR), supervising numerous NIH and industry-sponsored clinical trials, ensuring the safety of participants and successful completion of project-specific data collection.
Associate Member
Assistant Professor in Residence
Department of Neurosurgery
David Geffen School of Medicine
University of California, Los Angeles
Personal Statement
I am an assistant professor in residence within the department of neurosurgery at the University of California Los Angeles. I completed a neurosurgery residency and CAST accredited fellowship in neurosurgical oncology. My clinical practice focuses on the treatment and management of patients with brain tumors and cerebrospinal fluid disorders. My clinical responsibilities include developing a neurosurgical practice with participation in full academic requirements: clinical trials, clinical conferences, and teaching of post-graduate trainees and students. My faculty appointment allots 50% full-time protected research position on a NIH funding track. I have the full support of the department including: protected time, start-up funds, lab space, and institutional resources. My research experience focuses on the use of advanced imaging and molecular techniques in neurosurgical disorders. I have used novel methods of MRI analysis to study benign tumors such as pituitary adenomas and vestibular schwannomas. In addition, I have spent my training building expertise in MRI analysis of glioblastoma. I completed a Howard Hughes Research Fellowship under Dr. Clark Chen at University of California San Diego studying quantification methods of standard MRI in glioblastoma. I then transitioned to studying advanced MRI imaging (diffusion weighted imaging, chemical exchange saturation transfer echo planar imaging) under the mentorship of Dr. Benjamin Ellingson at University of California Los Angeles under Eli & Edythe Broad Center and Jonsson Cancer Center training grants. I built upon this foundation of imaging analysis by studying single cell and spatial RNA sequencing, bioinformatic analysis, and in vitro/in vivo models of glioblastoma under the mentorship of Dr. Harley Kornblum under the KL2 training grant. I have authored over 40 peer reviewed articles and over 15 first author publications. I have presented at multiple conferences including: AANS, CNS, SNO, and NASBS, and have been funded through research fellowships since 2019. I have transitioned to mentored independence as a faculty member, supported through the NIH/NCATS KL2 with independent lab space, staff, and resources from the department. I am contributing member of the brain tumor program, brain tumor SPORE, and brain tumor translational resource. I help maintain the pipeline of image guided biopsies used by multiple collaborating brain tumor laboratories. I present at our brain tumor board to allow for maximal recruitment into research studies. I am dedicating my career to the field of neuro-oncology focusing on basic research for the treatment of glioblastoma and addressing health disparities in neuro-oncologic care. My career goals include development of an independent investigator with a translational laboratory utilizing the various areas I have invested training in: advanced MRI, bioinformatics, in vitro/in vivo functional studies, and clinical trials.