About Me

I am glad to have this opportunity to present my credentials to you and share some other information about myself. It is very important that you feel comfortable with your doctor, and I hope this page will help you start to get to know me.

Biography

I grew up in Keren, Eritrea, in East Africa (“Keren” means “mountains”). I have wanted to be a physician since 11th grade, when I lost a colleague to an easily treatable condition. I enrolled in pre-med at Haile Selassie I University in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, but when the military junta deposed Emperor Haile Selassie, I left Ethiopia on a scholarship to study medicine in Hungary. Ongoing violent political turmoil prevented me from returning home, and thus I immigrated to the United States and became a citizen. I did my internal medicine residency in Chicago and my nephrology fellowship at University of California Irvine and Long Beach VA Medical Center. I love California because it feels like home to me. Beyond providing medical care, I enjoy reading, teaching, walking, and traveling.

About my practice

I am here to help you prevent, reverse, or retard the progression of kidney disease. I want to be your partner in maintaining your kidney health by striving to prevent kidney problems and caring for you when you are sick. It helps me care for you if you take an active role in your health and become part of my kidney care team.

How I thrive

I feel that healthy living and preventive care are the best ways to stay healthy. As I try to apply this wisdom of prevention in my own life, I will be happy to exchange insights with you about our mutual efforts in being proactive about our health.