I am an Instructor of Neurosurgery at the University of Pennsylvania. My research interests and training broadly focused on understanding the pathophysiological mechanisms of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and its mechanistic links between TBI and neurodegeneration. I have established an unique translational approach by examining mechanisms in clinically relevant in vitro and in vivo models and then determining the relevance of data through direct comparisons with post-mortem human TBI neuropathological analyses. I have also extensively participated in multiple NINDS/NIA Center Without Walls projects, namely the CONNECT-TBI and TRANSFORM-TBI, including leading several projects to characterize the evolving neuropathological changes after TBI in humans. Overall, my goal is to become an independent researcher and lead the discovery of initiating mechanisms of TBI that potentially contribute to neurodegeneration.