As a child, I spent a lot of time in doctor's offices and emergency departments with symptoms of asthma, and I learned early on how important it is to trust your doctor. The physicians who cared for me during that time inspired me to become a pediatrician and to specialize in pulmonology.

While I have a special passion for treating children with asthma, I also have expertise in a variety of other pulmonary diseases, including lung conditions that affect premature newborn infants and chronic respiratory conditions that extend into adolescence. I believe that providing quality health care depends on a close collaboration between my patients, their families, and me. The relationships we form are one of the most rewarding parts of my job.

My focus on caring for children from disadvantaged backgrounds stems from my social pediatrics residency training. I completed my pediatric pulmonary fellowship training at Columbia and have been part of the pediatric pulmonary team here for more than ten years. I can attest to how committed our team is to providing the best care for children with pulmonary disease.

I also spend a significant portion of my time on childhood asthma research. Our research team is interested in understanding and addressing the environmental factors that contribute to childhood asthma, particularly in urban communities. We have received funding for our research from the National Institutes of Health, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and a number of other organizations. We publish our work in scientific journals and present at international conferences—all with the goal of ensuring that children in our communities can breathe well and live active, healthy lives.