I have two immigration experiences, once as a toddler and once during young adulthood. Navigating two cultures while growing up and adding a third culture as an adult has required me to go through acculturation and identity formation in several critical times of my life. This has helped me become more culturally aware, better at managing polarities, comfortable in navigating differences and it gave me greater empathy and a nuanced approach to transitions. I know what it is like to live in different worlds and not be part of a dominant culture.

I am a practicing neurologist with five board certifications who specializes in the care of ALS. This is an incurable neurodegenerative disease that robs the person of their physical power to move, talk and breath and can also change a person’s ability to think. As a clinician I have helped people and families affected by ALS navigate the most difficult care decisions from diagnosis to the end of life with dignity, autonomy and a sense of hope and purpose. To empower people no matter their life circumstances is why I am in this world.

I fell in love with the brain on first sight (literally). In my first year in medical school we were able to dissect and study human brains to learn all we could about it. In my second year I applied to work as a neuroanatomy teaching assistant and have not stopped teaching about the brain ever since. I am a Professor in the Department of Neurology at the University of Minnesota and taught in the neuroscience course of the medical school for the past 15 years. I bring my knowledge and love of neuroscience to my teaching, consulting and coaching.

I started teaching when I was a student myself. I tutored medical and nursing students in Germany. I have always worked at teaching hospitals and believe that students add value. As a faculty member of the University of Minnesota (UMN) Medical School I developed numerous curricula focused on neurology, professionalism, and anti-harassment, working with learners across the entire continuum of medical training and a broad range of health professions. I was recognized by the UMN for my contributions as a Distinguished Teaching Professor and I bring a growth mindset to all aspects of my work.

I was identified by others as a leader early in my life and have held numerous formal leadership roles including a health system-wide, institutional oversight role. It took me quite some time to self-identify as a leader and I have undergone extensive leadership training (for example ELAM) to hone my skills. Based on my experiences I started designing and implementing leadership development programs for academic physicians and researchers. I know that leadership is a learned skill and that good leaders keep learning. I have walked the walk and can speak from experience when I coach other leaders.

Scholarship has been an essential part of my professional life. I have conducted clinical ALS research trials as part of a national consortium for a decade and have experience in writing education research grants, developing protocols and working collaboratively to advance a field. I am constantly learning, asking questions and seeking the best evidence to inform my patient care and my medical teaching. My approach to coaching follows the same principles of staying curious, asking powerful questions and being anchored in scientific evidence and best practice.