I am a native of the Midwest, born and raised in Kansas City, MO. I graduated from the University of Missouri-Kansas City with degrees in Biology & Chemistry, and then enjoyed the desert life while completing my Master's in Neuroscience at the University of Arizona. During my MS degree, I studied olfactory development in moths and flies....and then returned home to complete my doctoral degree studying developmental processes that were more directly translatable to humans. As a PhD student at the University of Kansas Medical Center, my lab was at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research in Kansas City, MO. It was at Stowers that I was able to blend my love of all things Neuro with development, studying cranial neural crest cells and craniofacial development in mouse and chick models. Fortunately, other lab members were studying the embryology of multiple other body systems, which led to my extensive training as an neuro-embryologist.

As a medical educator, I am a Professor of Anatomy with 15+ years experience in teaching Embryology, Neuroanatomy, and Histology. I firmly believe in engaging with and reaching the students where they are, as well as supporting the inclusivity of all students in and out of the classroom. I have also been involved with Gross Anatomy and student-led dissection for nearly 7 years. I also received specialized dissection training as a Scholar in the Anatomy Training Program, a joint-program offered by the American Association for Anatomy (US) and the Anatomical Society (UK). I have served as a course director for Neuroscience course(s) for numerous years, as well as served as a member of key University committees, including Curriculum Committee, Admissions Committee, and Rank and Promotion Committee.

I am keenly interested in curriculum development and student outcomes, and am fortunate to pursue both of these domains as Curricular Specialist at KHSC. In this role, I am involved with the strategic planning of curricular content, as well as the evaluation, analysis, and enhancement of educational processes at Kansas COM. I am very data driven, and have a range of Med Ed publications emphasizing curriculum development, assessment outcomes, and integrative teaching approaches.

My spare time is happily engrossed with my family, including my husband and our four (4!) boys, as well as our Old English Sheepdog, Phoebe. I love cooking & baking, traveling, and watching British TV shows. I am an avid gym-goer, and am either out running, at Pilates, or strength training.