Born and raised in Connecticut, I earned BS degrees in biology and economics and a
PhD in biology from Boston College in Chestnut Hill, MA. I next moved to Houston,
Texas for a postdoctoral fellowship and research assistant professor appointment in
the Department of Physiology and Cell Biology at the University of Texas Health Science
Center-Houston. In Houston I worked on projects related to cystic fibrosis. Our family
relocated to Johnson City, TN when I joined the faculty of the Quillen College of
Medicine in 1995. My basic research interest is the cell biology of ion transporting
epithelia and my current focus is the evolution of calcium transport mechanisms in
the extraembryonic membranes of oviparous and viviparous reptiles. Since joining QCOM
I have taught the gastrointestinal section of the Medical Physiology course for first
year students. Since 2012 I have served as director of that course and have expanded
my teaching duties to include basic cellular and reproductive physiology. I also serve
as a facilitator in the Case-Based Learning section of Doctoring 1. My outside interests
include hiking, camping, and trail ultra-marathons.