I currently live in the Boston area and am a neurosurgeon at the Lahey Hospital and Medical Center in Burlington, MA. I sub‑specialize in the treatment of brain, skull base, and pituitary gland tumors, as well as traumatic brain injury. I’ve been married to my wife, Sonia, since 2015 and we have two amazing children, Naomi and Eli.
What led you to become a neurosurgeon?
My dad is a physician as well. He honestly was the biggest inspiration for me to get into medicine. I knew from early on that I wanted to go into medicine, but as a surgeon. I majored in neuroscience in college, but didn’t really consider neurosurgery as an option until I was directly exposed to it during medical school. Neurosurgery is an exhilarating, but oftentimes humbling, medical specialty. On a daily basis, I meet with patients and their families when they’re at the worst, most stressful times in their lives. It is a tremendous responsibility to be given this privilege, as well as the opportunity to relieve pain, restore function, save a life, or simply provide comfort to those in need.
Your family supports The BT Fund every year. Why do you give back to BT?
Without a doubt, I would not be who I am today without having been at BT from kindergarten through grade 12. BT provided me so many opportunities for me to be my best self. I give back because I want BT to give the same chance to current/future students to be their best selves and be prepared for whatever they choose as a career. How did BT help prepare you for what you are doing now? The academic rigors of BT provided me with the foundation for success in college and medical school (including study habits, time management, organization) that allowed me to pursue a career in neurosurgery.
Which BT teachers had the biggest impact on you?
I am forever indebted to all of my former teachers at BT. The Upper School math and science teachers, especially Beth Anderson, Carrie Rise, Jon Mayo, and Patty Brown. All were instrumental in teaching critical thinking and problem solving skills as well as fostering interest in scientific inquiry. I use all of these on a daily basis. The teachers made learning fun and enjoyable, which is a difficult thing to do - I always looked forward to class with them!
What is something you learned in the last week?
I recently met with a patient who has a pituitary gland tumor, which causes a syndrome called Cushing’s Disease. This causes a variety of symptoms due to production of excess cortisol (a stress hormone) in the body. She has kept many horses over the years and taught me that while this disease is fairly uncommon in humans, it’s very common in horses!
