I attended the University of Washington as an undergraduate where I received my degree in Microbiology. During that time, I worked with a faculty member in the Microbiology Department, Dr. Michael Lagunoff, studying the effects of Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus (KSHV) on cancer transformation in endothelial cells. Following graduation from the University of Washington, I continued my work in Dr. Lagunoff's lab as a technician, conducting additional experiments related to protein-protein interactions, and regulation of host cell processes following KSHV infection.

In 2004, I began medical school at New York University School of Medicine. I continued to work on basic virology research with a faculty member at NYU, Ian Mohr, investigating the effects of KSHV reactivation on regulation of protein translation. During my third and fourth years of medical school, I became more interested in pursuing a career in surgery, specifically transplantation.