University of Pittsburgh& Carnegie Mellon University · MSTP
MD/PhD candidate in the Pitt–CMU Medical Scientist Training Program. I design interactive and AI systems for health that respond to what people need, think, and expect.
Human–computer interaction · health · neural signals
June – July 2025
A browser extension that adds an LLM-powered layer to Reddit health posts. It pairs PubMed evidence with peer anecdotes through three lenses (dive deeper, focus on positivity, big picture), so readers get answers without spiraling into anxiety.
June – July 2026
Under reviewWhat happens in the brain when a system does something we didn't expect? In a simulated driving task, unannounced steering-wheel interventions produce real surprise. We capture it with 31-channel EEG, facial-affect tracking, and pupillometry.
June 2025 – Present
User studies in progressTwo medically correct answers can still serve a patient differently. We map the goals physicians pursue when they answer the same question, then build a system that infers a patient's response goals from their story and conditions the AI's answer on them.
I envision health technology that meets patients where disease actually unfolds: at home, between clinic visits, and in the moments when they need answers.
I am an MD/PhD candidate in the University of Pittsburgh – Carnegie Mellon University Medical Scientist Training Program. My research bridges neuroscience, sensing, and human–AI interaction, grounded in neurodegenerative disease. This includes (1) measuring how people and their brains respond to interactive systems, using EEG and physiological signals; (2) patient-facing AI that decides what an answer should accomplish, not just whether it is correct; and (3) at-home tools that capture how a condition changes between visits.
My path began at the bench, studying how dopamine signaling is regulated in neurodegenerative disease, in C. elegans, in human cells, and through population studies of cholesterol-lowering medication. Alongside the lab, I have designed and built for people, from front-end development and user testing on a patient portal at Allscripts to machine learning for health analytics, and I recently co-founded a digital health startup for people with Parkinson's disease.
I have co-authored 20+ peer-reviewed papers, including a CHI 2026 paper that received an Honorable Mention (top 5%), and co-authored more than 25 conference presentations at venues including CNS and AANS. I graduated as valedictorian of Fisk University and am a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Outside the lab, I build clinics, training programs, and educational centers in impoverished communities.
Building tools that support Parkinson's patients and their families between clinic visits.
Redesigned customer journeys and made data visible across channels for global medical organizations. Grew qualified inquiries 41% and pipeline 20% year over year.
Took a B2B2C company from concept to launch and grew revenue year over year through sales, marketing and operations. Built key partnerships and the founding team.
Guided data-driven decisions for 77 mental healthcare companies, refining patient targeting and outreach. Helped increase access to eating disorder treatment facilities by 110% year over year.
Ran end-user testing and did front-end development for a patient enrollment portal in an electronic health record system.
Research
Studied cholesterol and dopamine transporter function with STORM microscopy, and ran population studies of cholesterol medication and methamphetamine relapse. Also studied the methamphetamine interactome, the nasal microbiome in COVID-19 with HIV, and glioblastoma outcomes.
Studied hsp12.6/fkh-8 dopamine signaling and dat-1 missense variants in C. elegans.
Studied glial swip-10 control of dopamine signaling. Co-author in J Neuroscience.
Studied how miR-27a/b affect PPARγ in prostate cancer cells.
Education
Public health & advocacy
Helped build a clinic in Jeida, Nigeria, and the first free educational resource center in Alimosho. Programs have reached more than 10,000 children.
Worked with U.S. lawmakers on federal malaria funding.
Trained more than 400 community members. Helped raise TBI survival from 50% to 94% across 14 hospitals.
Skills
Honors