I received my medical degree in 2006 from Drexel University College of Medicine and a master’s degree in Public Health from Columbia University. I then pursued specialty training in psychiatry and preventive medicine.
My research background has included studies of the effects of yoga in cancer patients and in elderly patients with cognitive decline. I was a research consultant at Mount Sinai for several years on a NIH grant investigating complementary and alternative medical treatments, including micronutrient supplementation for HIV/AIDS and inhaled cannabis for chronic neuropathic pain.
After my western medical training, I was blessed with the good fortune of studying Five Element Acupuncture with gifted teacher and healer Khosrow Khalighi, and I practiced acupuncture and preventive medicine in New York City for several years before returning to my native California in 2013.