Current Fellows

Undergraduate School: Indiana University
Medical School:  American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine
Residency: University of Tennessee College of Medicine- Chattanooga
Hobbies: Scuba Diving, Cooking, Hunting, Camping, Hiking
Research/QI Interests:  My clinical interests reside within Hodgkin and Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. My current research projects focus on suppression of brown fat in 18F-FDG PET imaging and I have a quality improvement project aiming to decrease time to biopsy for new patient with anterior mediastinal masses.

Why Pediatric Hematology-Oncology? I was really looking for a specialty that would give me a great balance of inpatient and outpatient medicine combined with having to really use my medical knowledge to take care of sick kids. Once I rotated in H/O as a medical student, I was hooked and knew this was the right field for me to be in. I am also an Adolescent-Young Adult cancer survivor and my personal experiences probably played a role in my attraction to this field.   

Why IU/Riley? I am from Indiana originally so there was some draw to coming back and being closer to home. However, in my gut, I felt like everything ‘clicked’ here. The fellows all seemed to enjoy working here and the faculty were all very nice and approachable. But I think the main draw was how supportive the program is with your research interests. As someone who had no clue what they were interested in coming into fellows, there was every avenue open to me. No matter what you want to do, the fellowship will support your research goals and find the right people to help you accomplish them. 

Undergraduate School: Grambling State University
Postbaccalaureate Research: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute at Harvard Medical School
Medical School: Indiana University School of Medicine
Residency: Pediatrics; Indiana University School of Medicine
Hobbies: Singing, Composing Music, Graphic Design, Writing, Reading
Research/QI Interests: Research: Interested in developing mortality and morbidity risk stratification systems for patients with Sickle Cell Disease both pre and post-curative therapy and disease-modifying therapies using artificial intelligence.  QI: Improving outpatient pain plan delivery and pediatric transition to adult care for patients with Sickle Cell Disease using informatics solutions.

Why PHEM?: Pediatric Hematology/Oncology fills me with compassion, motivates me to develop research questions, and inspires me to learn more about the field every day. Further, I enjoy teaching and Peds Heme/Onc provides a very special and sacred opportunity to share knowledge with patients and families during some of the most challenging times of their lives. I truly feel called to serve patients and their families within this specialty. 

Why IU/Riley?: For starters, IU School of Medicine housed both of my fellowship training programs! I am grateful to take part in the unique opportunity to be one of two persons in the US training in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology and Clinical Informatics fellowships simultaneously. Riley has phenomenal research teams, supportive leadership, and fantastic teaching faculty and nursing staff who have all rallied to support my career in academic medicine.  Even more, the beautiful facilities and repeatedly US-ranked pediatric subspecialty programs make Riley a fun and exciting place to work. 

Undergraduate School: Drexel University
Graduate School: Drexel University School of Public Health
Medical School: Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine
Residency: Lehigh Valley Hospital (Pediatrics)
Hobbies: Reading, knitting, baking, spending time with my partner and our kids
Research/QI interests: Pediatric clinical ethics, palliative care/supportive oncology, narrative medicine, physician mental health

Why PHO: I love the long-term relationships that I get to form with my patients and feel that it is truly a privilege to get to care for these families. I also enjoy the varied and complex pathology, the active research within the field, and having lots of opportunities to teach.

Why Riley: I knew I could get incredible training at many of the places where I had interviewed, but Riley had other opportunities that weren't available everywhere, including training in clinical ethics, dedicated pediatric palliative care, and narrative medicine. Plus, the faculty were all amazing and people that I knew would not only be wonderful physicians, but also teachers and friends.

Undergraduate School: Greenville College, Greenville IL
Graduate School: Loma Linda University, Loma Linda CA
Medical School: Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Des Moines IA
Residency: Maine Medical Center, Portland ME
Hobbies: Exploring local coffee shops. Trying to stay active - spin classes, barre classes, hiking
Research/QI interests: Undecided officially. Potentially the incorporation of osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM) into the care of pediatric hematology/oncology patients, therapeutic options for high risk childhood malignancies, immunotherapy, streamlining systems-based issues

Why PHO: Largely the people - patients are resilient and strong teachers, and the relationships borne out of continuity of complex care and difficult conversations are unparalleled. Pediatric hematology/oncology also offers opportunities to combine much of what I enjoy in clinical practice - inpatient and outpatient management, care for stable and critically ill patients, and procedures.

Why Riley: …also largely the people! I felt a strong, supportive community and immediately felt comfortable - even during a virtual interview.

Undergraduate School: Penn State University
Medical School: Edward Via College of Osteopatic Medicine (VCOM) - VA Campus
Residency: Wake Forest School of Medicine
Hobbies: Baking, wine tasting, hiking with my dog, growing my house plant collection
Research/QI interests: Undecided.

Why PHO: It's the best job in the world! These kiddos and families are the reason I come to work. They're kind, graceful, resilient, inspiring, and joyful in the most difficult time in their lives. Peds Heme/Onc is also an ever-changing and advancing field of medicine which is so exciting. I feel so honored to have the opportunity to care for this very special population!

Why Riley: My interview day was so fun and relaxed. Everyone was warm and welcoming and seem to really care about me as a person as a whole. They're my people! I also know I will get a fantastic education here from patient volume and scope to research opportunities. I'm also looking forward to exploring a new region of the country!