I completed my PhD in cognitive psychology in 2000, with a focus on pain sensation and perception, with a minor in neurobiology.  I returned to school for my MD which I completed in 2006.  After completing a surgical internship, I decided to teach for several years.  Recently I also completed my MPH.  I have been engaged in active research on pain for many years, and I have been an active member of the American Pain Society and the International Association for the Study of Pain.