After 20 years as a physician in emergency medicine, I decided it was time for a change. After four years as a consultant for Emmes, I was offered the job as our first chief medical officer.

I say we’re a research-based company that conducts clinical trials. But I then add that it’s the science behind what we do that drives our people.

I love to travel; this probably started when I spent three months in Europe with a Eurail pass right after college. The time spent in airplanes gives me plenty of time for reading. Plus, I love sports, and I’ve competed in marathons and triathlons.

The people, followed by the science. Our partnership with the researchers – that intense collaboration – is the spark.

Having a career and raising my three children.

My first job was as an emergency physician, dividing my time between two different hospitals in the Philadelphia area. I worked at five other hospitals in different parts of the country over the following 33 years. In 1997, I started consulting at Emmes and a few years later, I joined the Food and Drug Administration as a medical officer. When Emmes offered me the opportunity to become its first chief medical officer in 2001, I didn’t hesitate. Clinical medicine and research are similar, yet each brings a different perspective to answering scientific questions. Adding physicians to our scientific team who can thrive in our culture is one of my roles here.

M.D., University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
B.A., biology, Duke University