End of 2022 through early 2023: Midwest, Southeast, and Northeast US

Big News

I am so grateful to share that after residency, starting in July 2024, I will pursue a Behavioral Neurology & Neuropsychiatry fellowship at Johns Hopkins and research training as a clinical fellow at the NINDS/NIA. This opportunity truly wouldn't have been possible if it weren't for my mentors who fiercely advocated for me.

Chicago in October 2022

The end of 2022 has brought great joy and new personal beginnings. As for career development, I'm grateful for the opportunity to have traveled to Chicago in October for the American Neurological Association (ANA) meeting. Several talks given at this conference transformed the approach I plan to take with my research, and I made connections that changed the trajectory of my fellowship training plans.

Of course, I had to meet up with a couple of colleauges from my time in Chicago during medical school. One of my mentors and I stopped by Roots Handmade Pizza for dinner, which was quite filling. The following night, one of my old med school classmates and I grabbed dinner at Wilde Bar and Restaurant (an Irish pub named after Oscar Wilde, the author), which was absolutely delicious. 

Naples, FL in December 2022

I also attended the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP) conference in December 2022 as part of the REACH program (Recognizing and Eliminating Disparities in Addiction through Culturally informed Healthcare). I have pursued participation in this program given my early life interest in and personal exposure to addiction in my own family. I started the Addiction Medicine Interest Group in medical school (at Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine) and really desired to bring greater awareness to students about the opioid crisis and the disease of addiction. I have a particular interest in examining how addiction, psychosocial stressors (including early life adversity), and other neuropsychiatric illnesses may play a role in the development of Alzheimer's Disease and other cognitive disorders. 

This trip was transformative. Outside of the conference, I unfortunately didn't have much time to explore (especially the food; I think I just grabbed P.F. Chang's for dinner one night, which was mediocre). 

New York, Jan 2023

I spent a week in NYC at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice for the R25 Multidisciplinary Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect. I gained a better understanding of how to maximize my learning as a future physician-scientist as I plan to actively address the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in my clinical practice. I also broadened my understanding of the pressing public health problem of child maltreatment and NIH grant funding mechanisms and guidance for researchers in this area.  One of the biggest learning points for me during the week was the utility and strength of longitudinal studies in child abuse and neglect research. In the near future, I plan to work with multiple longitudinal retrospective cohorts of older adults and examine the associations between ACEs and cognitive impairment.

During the training institute, we had catered meals from really good places, including: 

• Hummus Kitchen (9th ave)
• Sophie's Cuban Cuisine 
• Two Boots Pizzeria 
• OBAO Noodles & BBQ
• Mint Masala 
• Pink's Cantina 
• Gracefully 

Asheville, NC

During a weekend in February, my boyfriend and I took a trip to Asheville. Some highlights: 

• Checking out a bookstore and purchasing a few good books, including "So You Want to Talk about Race?", which I'm hooked on right now.

• Grabbing brunch at The Med, which is quite possibly one of, if not the, best breakfast/brunch place I've been to. We both ordered French Toast, sausage, scrambled eggs (with cheese), and some fruit. Sounds like a basic breakfast, right? The sausage patties were seasoned to perfection, the scrambled eggs had the texture of soft clouds melting in our mouths, and the melted cheese was done perfectly. HIGHLY recommend this place if you're dropping by Asheville one day.

• On one of the days we grabbed dinner at 131 Main, a steak and seafood restaurant. I enjoyed the crab cakes and dessert (ice cream and brownie below), but my boyfriend felt that the slow roasted chicken left much to be desired.

Baltimore, MD

I was most recently at Hopkins for a workshop about disparities in Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD). It was such a tremendously informative experience. 

The catered breakfasts and lunches were on point and through Rouge Fine Catering. The sandwiches and salads were delectable (i.e. potato egg salad, tuna, lime chicken, stuffed bell peppers).

For dinner on our own, I branched out and checked out a Mediterranean place called The Kabul Fresh Grill. Their fried ground beef samosas, shrimp salad, and mango lassi were out of this world. The following day I was craving a Cobb salad with chicken, so I ordered one from Huck's American Craft as well as a blueberry cobbler. It was a heavenly experience.