In childhood, I learned of my grandfathers’ premature deaths from cardiovascular disease. Their deaths were not necessary, but without access to basic medical care, their lives depended on non-evidence-based therapies. Their deaths inspired my mission to mitigate the burden of heart disease and provide access to care for those who need it most—like my grandfathers. ​

 

After ten years of volunteering in cardiology departments across the country, I have seen too many families like mine torn apart by heart disease, which made me aware of the pervasive disparities that persist in cardiovascular health. I made early detection and prevention of heart disease my life’s mission. ​

 

To address this unfortunate reality, I've engaged in a multifaceted view of cardiology to recognize health disparities and empower patients about their health through organizing monthly patient support group meetings and public health campaigns with the National Institutes of Health All of Us Research, as well as leading our local Go Red for Women initiative. I have also sought to impact the healthcare system by spearheading my city’s first Structural Heart Clinic to provide early diagnosis of severe heart defects. Additionally, I have helped advance medical knowledge by presenting clinical vignettes and publishing peer-reviewed articles, while conducting the cardiovascular research. ​

 

All in all, I believe that my early involvement in cardiology has allowed me to gain clinical experiences, develop many practical clinical skills, but above all it reinforced that medicine, for me, is a personal calling influenced by my grandfathers, whose lives inspired my mission. ​