I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, and after traveling to St Louis University for Medical school completed a residency in Neurology at George Washington University. Next was eight years active duty in the US Air Force, before returning to the San Francisco Bay Area to help my mother who was in the early stages of a dementia. Even with a medical background, I felt helpless and alone with the challenges we faced on a daily basis. As a working mom with three young children and parents in crisis, I learned survival in the trenches; my husband beside me through the years to provide support and comic relief.

​

My mother passed silently in her sleep and our ordeal came to a close. As relief, guilt and loss settled in, my dedication to dementia care commenced...

​

In early 2011 I began brain-storming with Dagmar Dolby as she and her family saw first-hand how great minds can be assailed. We envisioned a center with a holistic approach to diagnosis and care of patients and their families. The goal has always been helping them better understand and adapt to the many challenges of a cognitive disorder. The Ray Dolby Brain Health Center opened in October 2012 and I have had the honor to meet and support thousands since then.

​

Working with patients and families remains my daily reward.