Biography
Originally from Ft. Lauderdale, Jessica obtained her B.S. in Biology from Nova Southeastern University and her M.D. from the University of Florida (Go Gators). Since moving to Michigan, she has enjoyed getting to explore all of the seasons and beautiful scenery the mid-west has to offer.
Jessica is currently in her Academic Development Time and working under the direction of Dr. Gorav Ailawadi. Her research interest includes aortic aneurysm disease with a special focus on IL-1 inflammatory signaling, endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition, and inflammasome signaling. By better characterizing these processes, she hopes to identify potential preventative and therapeutic targets to advance the treatment of aortic aneurysm disease. Jessica currently holds candidate memberships in the American College of Surgeons (ACS), the Association of Women Surgeons (AWS), and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS). Additionally, she currently serves as an education fellow for ""Behind the Knife"", the world's leading surgical podcast.
What Jessica enjoys most is the ability to teach and mentor medical students. She regularly participates in surgical skills workshops to help medical students during their surgical clerkship as well as volunteering with SCRUBS, the student surgical interest group. She was a finalist for the Arnold G. Coran Resident Teaching Award- Top Junior Resident Teacher for the past two years (2021, 2022) and received the Token of Appreciation from Medical Students (TAMS) award (2021), which is given to recognize individuals for their significant contributions to the success of students during their medical school years.
Mentors:
Education:
- Undergraduate: Nova Southeastern University, 2015
- Medical School: University of Florida College of Medicine, 2019
Why Michigan Surgery
While interviewing for residency, I looked at each chief class and thought to myself “Is this who I want to become”. For the University of Michigan, the answer was: absolutely! The chiefs were friendly, compassionate, talented, leaders of surgery and I knew I wanted to learn at the same program that had trained them. Today, I am so fortunate to be able to train as part of the General Surgery Residency Program at the University of Michigan. My mentors and co-residents are some of the most dedicated and compassionate physicians I have ever had the privilege to work with. Additionally, the program’s unwavering dedication to its resident’s personal and professional achievement has allowed me to continue to growth clinically, academically, and as a future leader in surgery.
Life in Ann Arbor
Life in Ann Arbor is always full of adventure. There is just so much to do! For those who love the outdoors, there are endless bike paths, running trials, gardens, and miles of river to be explored. If you’re looking for something a little bit more relaxed, walking around downtown Ann Arbor and trying out all the amazing coffee shops and restaurants is lots of fun with co-residents as well. And if you just need a change of scenery from time to time, Detroit is just a quick car ride away and offers amazing sporting events and concerts.
Hobbies
"Since moving to Ann Arbor I have absolutely loved getting to run outside. I especially love getting to explore new running trails and some of my favorites include Gallop Park, the Nicholas Arboretum, and the Mathias Botanical Gardens. When my legs need a break from running outside and around the hospital, I enjoy cheering on the Detroit City Football Club, sewing scrub caps for my friends, and watching movies."