“During medical school I worked in a psychiatry laboratory, and found that the intellectual challenges and rewards of uncovering the fundamental mechanisms that define who we are exceeded any other intellectual endeavor I had experienced. It was for this reason that I selected a residency based on whether it had a dedicated research track. The research track at UIC provided me with a great deal of flexibility in terms of scheduling, incredible mentorship, funds for lab supplies, conference travel expenses, and the opportunity to succeed as a physician researcher. Further, the intensive research training I received instilled in me a rigorousness of thought that has served to enhance my skills both as an investigator and as a clinician. Now as an assistant professor at UIC, I believe that the research track provided me with the skills and confidence to excel as a researcher and a psychiatrist.”

“My training has allowed me to integrate my passion for studying the brain with the desire to impact individuals by early intervention and treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders. My doctoral research investigated mechanisms by which sex differences in hormonal, chemosensory signals modulated physiology, brain function and emotional states. In residency, a pivotal experience occurred for me with a patient who has congenital panhypopituitary syndrome. He presented with severe obsessive compulsive disorder after receiving his first dose of exogenous testosterone to trigger puberty. This motivated my interest to examine whether children have an increased risk for psychopathology when they have perturbations in development and their neurohormonal systems. Questions about early brain development led me to pursue a three-year integrated, research and clinical fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. In the Developmental Disorders Clinic at UIC, I was struck by the heterogeneity in severity of disorders like autism, as well as variance between sexes and across environmental contexts. My PhD training taught me to value logical, linear approaches to studying basic processes by controlling as many variables as possible, to generate hypothesis driven models, and to think critically. Clinical experiences have taught me about the value of using a broad and highly developed set of approaches to assess and treat patients by thinking creatively. The vast complexities and variabilities of childhood developmental disorders are due to a range of underlying pathophysiological mechanisms. My research track experience in child psychiatry was a wonderful opportunity for me to formulate clinically relevant questions, learn new scientific methods, generate preliminary data, and begin to integrate interdisciplinary approaches to studying a complex, heterogeneous developmental disorder like autism.”