I graduated from Butler University in 1988 with a degree in Zoology/Pre-Med. I then completed training as a registered respiratory therapist, and practiced for about 5 years, mainly in critical care. During that time, I observed an open heart surgery case, and decided to pursue a career as a perfusionist. I graduated from the first class of the Cleveland Clinic/Ohio State school of Cardiovascular Perfusion program in 1995. I presented my student research project at the AmSECT meeting in 1995, which was given the award for “Best First Time presenter” as well as the AmSECT Research Award for “Exceptional Original Research published in The Journal of Extracorporeal Technology”, for work in pumpless A-V carbon dioxide removal in acute lung injury. In 2010, I spent about 3 and half years as a clinical specialist for VAD Company starting their US clinical trial. I returned to full time clinical perfusion in 2013 as a mechanical circulatory support coordinator for the University of Louisville Physicians department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery. I mainly focus now in adult clinical perfusion, ECMO, ventricular assist devices, adult clinical perfusion and MCS, and when required, pediatric VADs.
