Tell us a little about your background/training. 

I grew up in Europe (Belgium, then France). I moved to the US for college where I majored in both Mathematics and Biological Sciences. I attended medical school at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.

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I chose to do my Internal Medicine residency year at New York University because Bellevue Hospital is such a special place that welcomes and treats anyone and is ready for anything. I did my Neurology Residency at the Neurological Institute of New York / Columbia University, then did my Headache Medicine fellowship at Harvard University. 

Tell us about why you chose neurology and headaches specifically - what interested you most about this field?  

I think the brain is the coolest organ in the body and makes us who we are. The times when I can diagnose and guide people through treatments and watch them go back to their prior lifestyles are absolutely magical. Even if there is still so much progress to be made, now is an exciting time for the field of Neurology as there have been many new developments in both our understanding of the brain and treatments. We see it with CGRP antagonists and monoclonal antibodies in the field of Headache. 

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I love Neurology and I am so impressed by the resilience of people with neurological disorders. I enjoy practicing both general neurology and headache medicine. Currently, there are much more treatment options and possibilities to help people get better in Headache Medicine than almost any other field of Neurology. I like happy endings and smiles on people’s faces.  

What have been the things you are most proud of in your career? 

Planning the visit of a patient’s dog to her hospital room to fulfill her last wish to see her dog. She was too sick to leave the hospital.  

What have you learned from your patients that have helped you become a better doctor? 

Patients teach me every day. They know their bodies best. They know their diseases best. Everyone is unique. The patient-doctor relationship is teamwork against disease. 

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If I had to pick one thing I learned though I would say the importance of context. The absolute best doctor in the world might have difficulties helping someone if there are too many barriers to care such as medication cost, transportation and child care issues making it hard to come to appointments, homelessness, etc. I learned from my patients that to be a better doctor, I also have to be an advocate for them and for the fields of Neurology and Headache Medicine to try to break down barriers to care. 

What are you most excited about regarding your role at Neura?

Education empowers people. I think it is crucial to help people learn more about their diseases. I love the field of Headache Medicine so much that I am always super excited to increase awareness and education about it.

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I am so grateful to be part of the Neura team. Neura is going above and beyond to go around a lot of the barriers to care in traditional clinic settings. I think and hope it will be the future of healthcare delivery.

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