I have always enjoyed working with children and grew up wanting to be a pediatrician. In medical school, I realized during my surgical rotation that surgery was my calling. I was still interested in working with kids, so pediatric surgery is the best of both worlds!

As a pediatric surgeon, my particular areas of interest are in neonatal and fetal surgery, minimally invasive surgery (including robotics), congenital colorectal conditions (such as anorectal malformations and Hirschsprung disease) and inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis).

My approach to care differs depending on the child's situation and the strengths and limitations the family may have in navigating the course of treatment. Sometimes, we see children with more minor conditions or illnesses that we expect to go away after a short recovery. Those patients and families probably don't have the same needs as the patient with a chronic condition who may need many surgeries over their lifetime.

I am committed to providing the best care possible to my patients and enjoy getting to know the families. One of my favorite things is receiving photos of my patients on their first day of school, birthdays and holidays — it makes what we do worth it!

Together with my colleague, Dr. Frischer, I spend some of my time working with a group of surgeons in Tanzania. We work to improve the care of children in that country with congenital colorectal problems. Over the past six years, we have fostered a relationship that has been extremely successful and improved the lives of many Tanzanian children.

I was pleased to receive the 2019 American Pediatric Surgery Association Foundation grant to fund a clinical research project looking at the treatment of pilonidal disease (infection in the crease of the buttocks) in children.

Much of my research focuses on solving common clinical problems through multi-center studies and/or quality improvement. I don't like accepting the status quo or doing something "because we have always done it that way." I am interested in data-driven decisions. By working together as a community of pediatric surgeons, we can improve the care of all of our patients!

In my spare time, I like to be outdoors. I love to ski, travel and take one "bucket list" trip per year. I grew up outside of Boston and I am an avid Boston sports fan — Go Sox! Go Patriots! My grandmother was a master knitter and taught me how to knit before she died. I don't do it often, but I am pretty good!