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 and am board certified in preventive medicine. I am a clinical faculty member of the Department of Preventive Medicine at Mount Sinai School of 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.