Meet the Fellows

Why did you choose Lurie?

I considered many things during fellowship interviews including size of program/hospital and location.  I was looking for a program with a medium to large sized department.  Coming into fellowship, I did not know where my specific interests in the field lie.  At Lurie the faculty have diverse interests, so you’ll experience most everything GI and Liver have to offer!  I was also drawn to Chicago, a fun city I could enjoy in my free time.  

What has been the most rewarding experience so far?

Leaving residency was bitter sweet, I was excited to move on to my next chapter but becoming a fellow was daunting.   Moving to a new city, new hospital, new role as a fellow was quite an adjustment but everyone in the department was so welcoming and made the transition easier!   

What do you do for fun or to relax?

I enjoy cooking, baking, and running.   Lake shore trail is a great spot for running/walking/biking or picnicking!

What do you love most about Chicago?

Can’t lie, I’m nervous about the Chicago winters!  But I love living in a big city with endless restaurants and activities.   There is still so much of the city I need to explore.    Side note, I am OBSESSED with my dog Heidi.  Unfortunately, she lives in NJ with my parents, but for you dog owners Chicago is super dog friendly!

What drew you to the field?

Gastroenterology, Nutrition, and Hepatology is such a diverse field that allows you to think critically of the interplay between many organs while still being a subspecialist. I personally feel as though it is the best field because of the numerous procedures you can do without losing long term continuity of care with your patients.

Why did you choose Lurie?

I chose Lurie because I was particularly interested in an institution that would provide a wide array of clinical complexity, strong support for research endeavors, and significant diversity within their patient population. I needed an institution that would allow me to continue my interests in community advocacy and health disparities work for the underserved as well. Lurie Children’s GI/Hepatology provided all of these robust opportunities in addition to having supportive faculty members and a warm family feel! I am very happy with my choice.

What do you do for fun or to relax?

I love traveling! I have been to over 20 countries and have been to 5 out of the 7 continents. I love learning about new cultures and particularly enjoy lounging on the beach (Chicago also has a beach! Which is an extra plus for me since I can lounge on it in the summer time). I also love cooking Jamaican food since the aromas make me feel closer to home and my roots

What drew you to this field

I was drawn to pediatric GI for a variety of reasons. I was always interested in the physiology and pathophysiology involving the GI tract. There is so much variety and so many important connections to other important organ systems. Additionally, the day to day is always varied and I enjoy the procedural aspect of the specialty. 

What are your clinical interests? How did you become interested in this area?

I’m still figuring out what my clinical interests are! But I started fellowship with an interest in Celiac. 

What are your research interests

I’m not sure yet what my research interests are! But I have always enjoyed going medical education work and I would love to incorporate Med Ed research into my research work in the future. 

Why did you choose Lurie?

The faculty seemed amazing. The fellows seemed smart and hard working and fun! Also Chicago is a great city. I came here because I thought it would be a great environment and a great education.

What do you do for fun or to relax?

Reading. I love reading, fiction mostly. But I also recently moved to Chicago and have been exploring the city in my free time. There are so many great neighborhoods and restaurants to explore.

What do you love most about Chicago?

The summer! Chicago in the summer is great. There are so many awesome outdoor activities just steps away from wherever you live.  

What drew you to this field
I saw Pediatric GI as a field with opportunities to build long-term relationships with patients and families while navigating the brain-gut interactions that contribute to many of our patients’ experiences of illness. Also, it has a great balance of inpatient, outpatient, chronic disease, acute illness, procedures, and research so no two days feel the same.

What are your clinical interests? How did you become interested in this area?
I am still deciding what I will focus on after fellowship but I started fellowship with a particular interest in pediatric liver transplants and throughout my first year of fellowship have developed increased appreciation for advanced endoscopy procedures.

What are your research interests?
I am academically interested in exploring existing health disparities and trialing interventions to achieve health equity in pediatric gastroenterology and hepatology. I think every area of medicine has opportunities to advance equity, and one area that is specific to our field is outcomes after pediatric liver transplantation.

Why did you choose Lurie?
I applied to GI fellowship looking for an institution that would nurture my passions for diversity, equity, and inclusion alongside my broad undecided clinical interests in gastroenterology and hepatology. I chose Lurie as a learning environment that would support those needs while being in an amazing diverse city.

What do you do for fun or to relax?
I enjoy exercise, cooking, reading, traveling, and exploring Chicago with my partner and my friends.

What do you love most about Chicago?

Chicago is an amazing and diverse city. I love exploring the different neighborhoods which each have their own culture, meeting new people and eating all the amazing food in this city. Summers in Chicago cannot be beat with all the festivals and farmers markets!

What drew you to this field?
I have always been interested in nutrition and how it can be used to help manage diseases. As I learned more about GI, I knew this field was perfect for me. I love how GI intertwines my interest in nutrition, and also has a nice balance of acuity and interesting pathophysiology allowing me to take care of patients across many other subspecialties.

What are your clinical interests? How did you become interested in this area?
My clinical interests are in nutrition, obesity, and hepatology. Prior to medical school, I became a registered dietitian, so nutrition has always been a passion of mine. However, throughout training, I discovered my interest in caring for acutely ill patients, especially patients undergoing liver transplants. I enjoyed being a part of their healing process and seeing them well in clinic later on.

What are your research interests?
I’m still undecided exactly what research area I want to focus on during fellowship, but my interests are in nutrition and liver disease.

Why did you choose Lurie?
I chose Lurie because I was interested in training at a large children’s hospital with a variety of clinical complexity, patient diversity, and great research opportunities. I was also very impressed by the camaraderie of the fellows I met on my interview day. They all seemed very happy and genuine, and spoke highly of all the attendings, which were all important qualities to me.

What do you do for fun or to relax?
Outside of work, I like to travel, spend time with my husband and our dog, and try new restaurants. When I have a long weekend off, we enjoy going to northern Wisconsin or Michigan to spend time with our families on the lakes.

What do you love most about Chicago?
So far, I’ve come to enjoy the unique personalities of all the neighborhoods in Chicago! I’m also really excited to spend time walking/running on Lake Shore trail and trying new restaurants. Looking forward to finding my new go-to restaurant in our neighborhood!

What drew you to this field?

I love the pathophysiology of gastroenterology and the diversity of organ systems to learn from in one field! I used to TA for nutrition classes, and I liked how nutrition is something that I could counsel my patients whether they are sick or healthy. And of course, Pediatric Gastroenterologists are some of the most fun, cool people to work with!
What are your clinical interests? How did you become interested in this area?
One of my first GI mentors was in medical school. She is a IBD specialist, and she was one of the first people to get me excited about GI as a specialty, specifically through IBD. Since then I’ve done IBD research, but I’m interested in seeing what Hepatology has to offer.

What are your research interests?
I’m curious about Hepatology, but I’m going into fellowship with an open mind. I’m also interested in medical education, and I’m interested in seeing how I can incorporate that into my research.

Why did you choose Lurie?
The fellows and faculty were some of the nicest and welcoming people I met on my interview trail. It also helps that Lurie is a well-known institution on both coasts and that I couldn’t help but see Lurie faculty pop in children’s hospitals all over.

What do you do for fun or to relax?
I love keeping up with movies and television. Whenever possible I’m always on the lookout for new restaurants as well. I enjoy climbing and working out, for fun, stress relief, and to offset too much eating out at restaurants.

What do you love most about Chicago?
The food scene was what first drew me to Chicago, so much so I flew to Chicago for my medical school graduation dinner.