About me

My research philosophy is one of solving problems. Before studying design, I got a PhD in Neuroscience and spent a few years as a psychiatry professor at the University of Michigan. My research specialty was brain imaging of neural networks associated with cognition and emotion.

I have used research as a problem-solving tool in academic & clinical, open-source tech, mobile app start-ups, and large-scale enterprise settings. I rely on a combination of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-method approaches, and always focus on the goal of solving user problems while meeting business needs.

As a researcher, I have learned a few things:
1. How to figure out which problem is important enough to solve, and why it is important

2. Which questions to ask to solve the problem, and which answers are important

3. How to turn observations into practical solutions 

4. How to communicate significance to an interested audience, and to decision-making stakeholders
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5. How to supervise without authority, and how to collaborate when everyone has equal say

My experience and skillset let me shine as a UX researcher & product strategist, and to understand the true value of product design, because a well-designed product has little significance if it’s not solving somebody’s problem.