I am currently a systems neuroscientist at the University of Michigan Medical School with expertise in neuroanatomical function related to physiological stress and psychiatric disorders. Through this knowledge, I’ve been able to analyze proteins and mRNA molecules that affect brain function and dictate human behaviors. My inspiration for this line of work is directly related to receiving my B.S. from Grand Valley State University in Health Science where I became interested in understanding multiple aspects of human anatomy and physiology. Following this, I worked as a research technician at the Ann Arbor Veteran’s hospital where I attended autopsies, directed by the County Medical Examiner, and subsequently looked at neurotransmitter transporter proteins in postmortem brain of people who abused cocaine. Following this experience, I went on to receive my Ph.D. from Wayne State University Medical School, within the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, where my research focused on Parkinson’s disease models and the neurocircuitry that regulates motor activity. Somewhat switching gears, I was fortunate to do my postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Michigan Medical School and investigate neuronal gene expression in postmortem subjects previously diagnosed with psychiatric disorders including major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. I obtained the status of a trusted human brain dissection member that is able to identify and isolate key postmortem brain regions relevant to human neuropathology. This work involves a large collaborative effort by the Pritzker Research Consortium (University of Michigan, University of California Irvine, Stanford University, Cornell University, and the Hudson Alpha Institute) which is dedicated to understanding the underpinnings of mental health. Advancing to a research faculty member at the University of Michigan Medical School, I co-instructed an undergraduate human neuroanatomy course and continue examining neurogenetic changes in psychiatric illness by incorporating advanced microscope-driven methods to visualize and quantify molecular changes using advanced histological techniques. Collectively, these experiences have given me the opportunity to regularly present and discuss experimental data at the annual international Society for Neuroscience conferences for over 20 years and mentor numerous undergraduate students seeking further postgraduate education.