I graduated from the University of California San Francisco School of Medicine, and completed an internship and residency in Internal Medicine at Kaiser hospitals.  After becoming board certified in Internal Medicine I worked as a staff internist at Kaiser.  However, I became interested in the problems faced by patients who were using opiates, such as heroin and prescription painkillers, and have been working in the field of addiction medicine for most of my professional career.

I have worked as the Medical Director of several opioid treatment programs, including the Bay Area Addiction Research and Treatment program in Oakland, as well as the Reliance Center, an out-patient office based addiction treatment program in San Francisco.  I am a member of the American Society of Addiction Medicine and the California Society of Addiction Medicine, as well as a past member of the California Society’s Committee on the Treatment of Opioid Addiction.

I have been active in helping plan educational workshops for physicians on issues of opioid dependence and treatment.  I have also worked to train physicians, nurses, psychotherapists, and attorneys about addiction and treatment strategies, and have spoken extensively on heroin and prescription opioid dependence and treatment.  I have been involved in research as a study physician and Principal Investigator of clinical trials sponsored by the National Institute of Drug Abuse.

My primary interest is working on an individual basis with people as they attempt to change their often destructive and dangerous patterns of alcohol and drug use.  I believe that every person has a unique and powerful story to tell about their own history and the circumstances that have shaped their lives and their behaviors.  For me, working with people as they gain insight into their struggles and learn to develop successful strategies for treatment is both a challenge and an honor.