I am a native of Augusta, Georgia, and an honored second-generation graduate of the Medical College of Georgia (MCG). Ever the Francophile, I completed my undergraduate education in psychology and French studies at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. I am trained in psychiatry by both the University of Pennsylvania and by my alma mater, MCG. I joined the Yale School of Medicine as Assistant Professor of Psychiatry in September 2019. My primary clinical appointment is at the Connecticut Mental Health Center. There, I am able to marry my dedication to provide quality clinical care to underserved, minority populations with academic research.
My professional identity is rooted in being a fiercely proud, outspoken, family-oriented African American physician. I am a strong supporter of racial diversity in medicine. My research interests focus on promoting racial diversity within academic medicine and addressing iatrogenic influences of poor patient care, specifically racial and mental health discrimination within daily clinical practice. My work in iatrogenesis has led me to become a national advocate for patient and provider safety through promoting the equitable treatment of behavioral emergencies by removing police- and security-based interventions from general hospital medicine.
