Get to Know Me
I was born and raised in the southern Philippines. After I married, we moved a lot — from Taiwan to Virginia to New York to Pennsylvania. Some of these moves were for my continuing education and training. They taught me to be adaptable in the rapidly changing world of medicine, where new discoveries can have profound effects on patient care.
Why I Treat Children
Sending happy, healthy babies home with their parents is so rewarding. Extremely premature babies stay with us for months, so we often form lasting friendships with their families. Many send cards or come by to ""show off"" their children as they grow up. It is immensely satisfying to know that I’ve made the world better for a child and a family.
What I'm Passionate About
I care deeply about providing the best possible outcomes for the most fragile, tiniest babies in the NICU (ICU for newborns). Part of that is finding and implementing better ways to optimally address their medical challenges. This is why I am also passionate about research opportunities in a field so filled with clinical and scientific questions.
How I Try to Make A Difference
I like to work with parents and providers to improve developmental care in the neonatal unit. This care optimizes the infant’s long-term neurodevelopment (normal brain and nervous system maturation), both in terms of outcome and the ability to adapt throughout life, and it decreases the negatives of being born prematurely and sick.