What was your motivation to pursue a career in rheumatology?
I was exposed to rheumatology early on in my medical journey and ended up being matched with a rheumatologist by chance for a rotational program. I enjoy the detective work and cognitive work required in rheumatology, as well as the continuity of care with patients who often have chronic illnesses. Rheumatology is a fascinating multi-system specialty that often involves working with other specialists for patient care, and I enjoy the diagnostic mysteries that are involved in this specialty.
What are your clinical and/or research interests?
My primary clinical and research interest is in vasculitis. Vasculitis is a multi-system disease with many different types that affect different organs. Working closely with other specialties becomes a collaborative team approach to caring for these patients. I find it rewarding to work as a team with people who have different expertise and come together to treat patients in a comprehensive manner.
How did you become interested in these areas?
Mentorship played a key role in my interest in vasculitis. Seeing how my mentor, Anisha Dua, MD, works through cases and incorporates different data into a clinical impression was impressive and inspiring. Vasculitis is a complex disease with an unmet need for expertise, and I want to help fill that gap and shed light on diagnoses for patients who have struggled.
How has your time as a fellow at Northwestern Medicine influenced your approach to rheumatological research and practice?
My training at Northwestern Medicine has emphasized the importance of teamwork and collaboration. I have learned that we work in a community of people who want to help, collaborate and share ideas. This has influenced my practice, and I have built relationships with multiple departments, allowing me to reach out to them without hesitation.
Can you share a standout memory from your time as a trainee at Northwestern Medicine that had a lasting impact on your professional journey?
One standout memory is taking care of a severely ill patient with vasculitis in the ICU during my fellowship. The patient required breathing support and dialysis. A year later, when the patient walked into the clinic, they were smiling, wanting to go back to work and feeling great. Success stories like this are impactful and reinforce my passion for vasculitis.
After completing your fellowship at Northwestern Medicine, what made you want to stay and join the faculty?
The relationships, teamwork and resources at Northwestern Medicine influenced my decision to stay. We have great resources for working up patients, including complex imaging and biopsies. Having the infrastructure and resources internally allows us to provide comprehensive care without needing to send patients elsewhere.
What goals do you have for your role as a clinician and as assistant professor of Rheumatology?
I am joining Dr. Dua in the vasculitis center with a goal to become an expert in vasculitis treatment. Additionally, I want to contribute to research and explore ways to treat patients better, find more treatments, and recognize predictive markers for treatment response. I hope to help launch the research side of our vasculitis center and utilize the large patient population at Northwestern Medicine for data collection.
As the incoming associate program director for the Rheumatology Fellowship at Northwestern Medicine, what are your goals for the program, and what do you hope to accomplish to further rheumatological medical education?
My goal as the associate program director is to provide mentorship, advocacy and support to incoming fellows. I want to understand their goals and help them achieve them, whether it be in private practice, research or academia. I hope to be a champion for the fellows and help them navigate their medical training journey.
What excites you most about the future of rheumatology at Northwestern Medicine?
In general, rheumatology is experiencing a boom with the number of approved treatments and advancements in the field. The focus is shifting towards finding cures for diseases rather than just managing symptoms. Exciting technologies like CAR-T cells and stem cell transplants have the potential to change or eliminate diseases. At Northwestern Medicine, we continue to grow our expertise in different diseases, which is important for a tertiary care center. We get to see the most complex and atypical cases, which keeps the field exciting.
Who inspires you/who are your mentors?
Dr. Dua is a major inspiration. I think in general a lot of people in the Rheumatology Department are. It is amazing to see people who have such expertise — who are renowned, who are writing the guidelines for some of these diseases and helped come up with treatments for some of these diseases — be the most down-to-earth, kind, relatable people. And that juxtaposition never ceases to amaze me. They are the most gracious people, despite what they've accomplished and that inspires me. Dr. Dua is the epitome of that. She is a powerhouse. She's accomplished so much in medical education and vasculitis. And then, at the same time, she is a great mentor, friend and advocate. She also leverages her own success to help other people, which is also really inspiring. It's one thing to be successful in your own right, but then when you've made it, and you've had all this success to be able to say, I have a platform to promote somebody else who I think is great or invest in the next generation of people, that's pretty awesome. That inspires me to hopefully do that down the line for incoming fellows and generations.
