I grew up in Indiana, where as a child I dreamed of becoming a farmer. I attended Butler University and was the first in my family to complete a four-year undergraduate education. After graduation, I worked instructing organic chemistry laboratory while contemplating my future ambitions. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to receive my medical training at NYU School of Medicine. I moved to Los Angeles and spent one year researching the way sound is processed in the brain at the Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute at USC. My neurology residency and fellowship training were completed at Kaiser Permanente, UCLA and Cedars-Sinai and included subspecialty training working in the muscular dystrophy and ALS clinics at these locations. I began my career with Kaiser Permanente in Southern California and previously served as the Stroke Director at Kaiser Permanente in Woodland Hills, where I worked to improve stroke care for our patients. I decided to relocate to Colorado due to the friendly atmosphere and the access to outdoor activities.