Background
I was born and raised in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan. I went to college at UChicago, where I fell in love with the city of Chicago. I majored in Biological Sciences and Psychology and unsuccessfully petitioned the college to grant me a third major in "Mario Kart Studies". After working as a research assistant at Northwestern University for two years, I moved east to do my graduate work in Brown University's Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences. Since that's over a dozen syllables, I usually just tell people that I study neuroscience.
Outside of the lab, there are a few other things that keep me busy:
- I enjoy live music and have attended over 150 concerts and shows. I've seen Bruce Springsteen perform live fourteen times and counting. Besides Bruce, I generally listen to electronica and indie rock. I've compiled a list of my previous shows, so if you want to meet up for a show on the west coast or during a conference, let me know!
- I've enjoyed sports since I was a kid, especially football and basketball, and I spend Saturdays during college football season glued to the TV. (Go Wolverines!) I enjoy running and going to the gym, and I wish I spent more time playing basketball, tennis, and sailing.
- I also like to read about research in fields outside of neuroscience and cognitive science. I'm primarily interested in nutrition and biomedical research, artificial intelligence, and computer science. I try to read science fiction when I can, and I'm a recovering New York Times junkie.
- I spend some time volunteering. I interview prospective UChicago undergraduates and am constantly impressed by how bright and ambitious these high school students are. I also volunteer at a senior assisted living center in Providence and am constantly impressed by the wit, humor, and vitality of the residents.
(Philadelphia, June 2016)
