My overall research goal is to better understand allergic inflammation and itch to improve diagnosis and treatment of patients suffering from these conditions.

To accomplish this goal, I work in many areas spanning clinical trials to investigations of disease mechanisms in the laboratory using mouse models and biochemical assays.

• Lab Website

Chronic itch and chronic urticaria/hives 

• Information for Patients

My mentoring philosophy:
To support the goals and aspirations of my mentees while aligning our efforts with the broader objective of excellence in clinical care and translational research.
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I take the responsibility of being a mentor very seriously, and my top priority will be on supporting my mentees. The person comes before the project, the paper, or the grant. I have been given many “second” chances, and for that I am incredibly grateful. There have been multiple occasions where I could have been told I had reached the end of the line, that I wasn’t productive enough, that there wasn’t enough funding, etc., despite extenuating circumstances. I believe as long as someone still has the desire and the fight to keep pursuing science, that person should be supported in their pursuit. Finally, I recognize that there is no one size fits all approach to being a mentor. My PhD co-mentor exemplified this to me, as I saw him modify his mentorship with different trainees to best elevate their goals, personalities, and work styles. When I think of the importance of mentorship, I am reminded of a quote from Steven Jay Gould:

"I am, somehow, less interested in the weight and convolutions of Einstein’s brain than in the near certainty that people of equal talent have lived and died in cotton fields and sweatshops."

I hate to imagine how many talented people have been lost to science who may have contributed amazing discoveries with better support and mentorship