“In my class, I convey the major concepts in human disease with clarity, providing sufficient background information, and utilizing pathology as a tool to seamlessly integrate the basic and clinical sciences.”
Years at Midwestern University:
Six years.
Research Interests:
As medical oncology treatments are moving from anatomical sites to molecular sites, I am working on identifying novel cancer molecular biomarkers and treatment targets using a global proteomics approach. These newly discovered biomarkers have promising clinical utility in the early detection of cancers and can serve as cancer therapeutic targets enabling scientific discoveries to move from the bench-to-bedside, or what we call “Translational Medicine.” I am also working on harnessing the potential of the human body's own immune system to attack malignant tumor cells utilizing novel cancer immunotherapy approaches.
What is the most rewarding part of being a member of the Midwestern University faculty?:
For the last six years, I was fortunate to mentor many bright and dedicated medical, professional, and graduate students throughout their research projects in my lab. They all have been very productive, as evident in the number of peer-reviewed publications and award-winning conference presentations from my lab. It has been very rewarding to see them develop critical thinking skills and advance in their careers. I also proudly serve as the faculty advisor for the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine (CCOM) chapter of the Student National Medical Association, and recently became involved in mentoring first-generation students as a part of my role within the newly established chapter of Tri-Alpha, the National First-Generation Honor Society. I am hoping that my own personal and professional journey as a first-generation doctoral student and a first-generation American will help these students navigate the challenges and prejudice they might face in their journeys. Several of my students have graduated and matched to their desired specialties, and I am confident they will lead very successful careers and mentor generations of students to come.
How do you engage students in the learning process?:
My teaching style is student-centric and interactive. In my class, I convey the major concepts in human disease with clarity, providing sufficient background information, and utilizing pathology as a tool to seamlessly integrate the basic and clinical sciences. I also extend learning opportunities beyond the designated class time by maintaining an open-door policy. I strive to establish personal connections with my students, which allows me to tailor specific plans to help them overcome challenges and guide them to success. I learned this teaching style first-hand from my mom, who was a physics teacher for more than three decades.
What do you hope students learn from your classes?:
My classes are designed to build master adaptive learners. As the landscape of healthcare is rapidly changing, I hope my students will adapt to the new environment by becoming lifelong learners who make keen observations, ask critical questions, and examine different perspectives to gain a deeper understanding of the “what,” “how,” and “why” of human disease. This new approach to teaching and learning will enable these clinicians in training to deliver high-quality health care to their patients.
What lessons would you like students to take with them in their professional careers?:
I hope my students not only take with them the medical knowledge taught in class, but also become well-rounded professionals who are kind, considerate, and passionate about the care they deliver to their patients and the service they provide to their communities.
What about your profession should people know more about?:
I am a physician-scientist, a member of a very small group of professionals with two doctorates, an M.D. and a Ph.D., and I specialize in human pathology and cancer research. Pathologists play an important role in informing clinical management decisions for patients. That’s why pathologists are referred to as the “doctor’s doctors” since they provide information to other specialists who are treating patients with a variety of human conditions. I was fortunate enough to receive my education and training at some of the best and most prestigious medical schools and comprehensive cancer centers in the country, and I work diligently on utilizing my expertise to benefit cancer patients and to transfer this knowledge to the next generation of professionals.
