About Me
I started my career as a chemical engineer and later as a Ph.D. bioorganic chemist, where I gained a deep respect and sense of awe for life and the world we live in.
Yet as I worked alongside my colleagues, I realized how the demands of everyday living cause some of us to lose sight of the ambitions and dreams that inspired us to pursue our careers and build our relationships. Thus, we lose our appreciation for the many gifts that life offers us.
I started researching the mechanisms and skills that allowed some people to maintain their enthusiasm for their dreams, and found the subject fascinating. This inspired me to pursue my study of life in a new way, and I became a licensed psychotherapist.
Education
- M.A., Marriage and Family Therapy, University of San Diego, San Diego, California
- Ph.D., Physical Bio-organic Chemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas
- M.S., Industrial Engineering, Ecole Supérieure de Chimie Industrielle de Lyon, Lyon, France
- Undergraduate Degree, Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
Professional
Therapy
- Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (MFC 51060), State of California, Private Practice
- Department of Veterans Affairs
- City of Carlsbad Police Department
- Vet Center of San Diego
Scientific
- Principal Scientist, The Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation
- Senior Research Investigator, Bristol-Myers Squibb
- Research Investigator, American Cyanamid Company
- Reviewer, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bioorganic/Natural Product Section
- Author or co-author of 28 scientific papers
Personal
- Multi-cultural and multi-faith background
- Grew up in Lebanon during the civil war and have since lived and worked in many countries around the world
- Languages: fluent in English, French, and Arabic; working knowledge of Spanish