Where are you from?

I was born in Brooklyn, NY. My father was in the Air Force so before I was six years old I lived in New York, New Jersey, Turkey, and Oregon. We moved to Orlando, Florida when I was 7, which is where I grew up and went to college. Since then I’ve lived in Atlanta, GA and Rochester, Minnesota, and finally landed in Chicago in 1995. So it’s hard to say exactly where I’m from.  

What’s your educational background?

I have a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from University of Central Florida, a PhD in organic chemistry from Georgia Tech, and a MBA from Kellogg. After I received my PhD, I worked as a postdoc at Mayo Clinic for four years. I guess you can say I liked school.  

What is your role at the institute?

My role is to manage the day-to-day business operations of the institute, and to help develop and execute the strategies for future growth and evolution of FCVRI. My professional background is in drug discovery and business development, so I bring a different (commercial) perspective to my job. Doug Losordo has a vision to create a world-class translational research enterprise within FCVRI, and I work with him to formulate the strategies to achieve that goal. As part of that effort I’m helping to build and streamline the clinical trials management group in FCVRI, and seeking ways to integrate our activities with similar groups around the medical school.

What’s a typical day like for you?

There really isn’t a typical day. As administrative director I need to address issues that come up throughout the week (what many refer to as “putting out fires”), but I spend a lot of time planning ways to prevent fires from starting. I try to spend as much time on long-term strategy as possible, which is the most interesting aspect of my job. There is tremendous long-term potential in the research being performed at FCVRI, and I try to help our investigators think of alternative ways to capitalize on their research interests and use resources available both inside and outside Northwestern.

Why did you choose to work here?

I started talking with Doug Losordo several months after he arrived at Northwestern, and was really impressed with his vision and passion for what he wanted to create at FCVRI. I felt it was an excellent opportunity to use my background in R&D and business management to create something new and exciting.

What do you like/dislike about your job?

I really like the wide range of scientific research that I’m exposed to here at the medical school, and the smart, talented people I get to interact with every day.   

What are your hobbies?

Any favorite books/movies? My hobbies include stock investing, reading, music, and watching movies. I tend to read classic fiction (Hemingway, Vonnegut, Steinbeck, etc.), and occasionally find a more current author that I enjoy (Cormac McCarthy, Martin Amis). It’s difficult to find an author I really enjoy, which is why I read a lot of short stories (less time invested if it turns out to be unenjoyable). For movies I have pretty eclectic tastes, running from traditional classics (Casablanca, The Hustler, Cool Hand Luke) to cult classics (Repo Man, Clockwork Orange, Big Lebowski), to anime (especially the films by Hayao Miyazaki). I’ll watch pretty much anything except romantic comedies (blah) or musicals. A musical romantic comedy would be my worst nightmare (it would take a team of wild horses to drag me to see Mama Mia!).   

How do like to spend your free time?

I enjoy coaching my son’s soccer team (even though I’m personally horrible at soccer), exercising at the gym (I should do it much more often), and cooking.