About Me

I was born and raised in Honolulu. After graduating from Iolani School, I left the Islands to go to college. Although I loved living in Cambridge, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and San Francisco, my heart always remained in Hawaii. The aloha spirit here is very real to me, and I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to be back home caring for the people of Hawaii.

About my practice

I’ve always been fascinated by the ever-changing field of science. Volunteer activities in high school showed me that a career in medicine would satisfy this interest while also giving me the opportunity to interact with people. I chose dermatology as my specialty because this field encompasses the aspects of medicine that are most interesting to me. The skin can be a window into the body — for example, patterns, colors, and distributions of a rash can be a clue to an underlying medical condition or genetic disorder. I also love being able to treat patients of all ages, especially children. Working with families to treat conditions so readily visible to the outside world is incredibly rewarding. After doing an internship in pediatrics at Children's Hospital Los Angeles and a dermatology residency at Emory University, I completed a fellowship in pediatric dermatology at the University of California, San Francisco. I’ve conducted several research projects during my training, covering dermatologic conditions of many kinds in several different medical settings — the emergency department, intensive care unit, and outpatient clinic. These studies have been published in a variety of medical journals, including the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, Pediatric Dermatology, and Clinics in Dermatology. To stay current in my field, I attend national conferences and review monthly medical journals. I appreciate the collaborative spirit within the Hawaii Permanente Medical Group. It’s a joy to see physicians of all specialties working together for the benefit of the patient. In my opinion optimal care also requires an understanding of how each symptom affects patients’ — or, in the case of pediatric patients, their parents' — daily lives. I especially enjoy meeting new patients and learning about their life experiences, their families, and their beliefs about health.

How I thrive

My husband and I enjoy traveling together. I relax and recharge by cooking, baking, dining, and laughing with my family.