I grew up in the old world, coastal city of Charleston, South Carolina, where watching ships enter and leave the harbor made we want to see the world. Fortunately, I had that chance when my family moved to London for two years, and spent months exploring the UK and Europe in a Volkswagen camper. After finishing Drew University with degrees in English Literature and Art History, I joined the Peace Corps and was lucky to be sent to Thailand, where I taught agriculture and English at a rural elementary school. Before leaving Asia, I couldn’t resist the chance to see Malaysia and China and hike the Himalaya in Nepal. The turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea were my next home address. I bought and lived aboard a sailboat for several years in the Virgin Islands before leaving to find new channels for my energy and curiosity. In hindsight, those nomadic, adventurous years helped me define who I am: I love languages and communication; I enjoy working hard; and I’m fascinated by all types of science.
Back on the mainland, I completed a master’s degree in journalism at Boston University and came back to Charleston to work. While producing news and science programs for radio and television, I finished a PhD in public health at the University of South Carolina and began my career as an independent medical science writer.
Anyone who works from home knows you’ve got to find ways to get out of the house. My solution was to become an ERYT-500-hour certified yoga instructor. There is so much joy and friendship in the yoga community. Of course, I naturally gravitated to the science and anatomy behind yoga practices. For over sixteen years, I’ve taught anatomy to yoga teacher trainees and students interested in biology, fitness, and health. I also work at the Medical University of South Carolina, researching the biological changes in protein expression that yoga and yogic breathing exercises induce.
At the end of the day, when the deadlines are met and the datasets are put away, there’s nothing like taking a walk on the beach with my dog. I get a sense of excitement watching the sun fall over the horizon and wondering what amazing new discoveries tomorrow might bring.