About.
Never Stop Learning. Always Create Value. Always Help Others.
Scientist & Researcher (AI/ML, Data, Bio, Chem), Musician, Programmer, Entrepreneur.
My cross-disciplinary career encompasses science, engineering, data analytics, AI/ML, programming, project management, product development, arts, and entrepreneurship. My strength lies in innovative problem-solving and leveraging my diverse skill set to create value. I thrive in complex, dynamic environments and am driven by continual learning and a dedication to helping others.
My story.
It’s been quite a ride so far…
As a kid, I was obsessed with music. My dad would play me everything from Stevie Ray Vaughn to Frank Zappa to Classical and Jazz music. I started playing the viola and guitar in 6th grade. In high school, I studied at the Governor’s School for the Arts in Norfolk, Virginia (an amazing school, and amazing experience). I learned so much there…Classical and Jazz Guitar, Music Theory, and much more. All of the teachers at that school were incredible, and in particular, my guitar teacher, Sam Dorsey. He was a life-changing teacher and a truly phenomenal person. He was responsible for my opportunities to perform in masterclasses for world-renowned classical guitarists like Manuel Barrueco and Ana Vidovic. I even had the opportunity to perform solo guitar in Europe.
I mention all of this because I strongly believe it helped shape my work ethic and who I am today as a person. I believe it also helped me significantly with science…
I started becoming curious about science early in high school. It all started after reading physics books by the author Paul Davies (for example, “The Mind of God”). After devouring several of his books, I became obsessed with science.
In college, I studied Chemistry and Math at James Madison University (Harrisonburg, VA). After graduating, I took a small break and toured around with my band for a bit, performing along the East Coast, both as a headliner and sharing the stage with national acts. Eventually, I went to work in the science industry making sensor technologies for the military and first-responders. I was still in Virginia at this time.
I’d always wanted to live in California. In August of 2014, that opportunity presented itself, and I took it. I got a job as a scientist at a contracting company (where I still work) developing sensors for NASA space systems and novel medical devices under NIH grants, as well as doing many more really cool technology product development projects.
To give you some background on my foray into health and fitness… it started back in 2013 after listening to a podcast with Art De Vany about the Paleo Diet (EconTalk episode). That podcast changed my perspective on everything and changed my life. It was the first time that I really understood that food could be medicine, a powerful tool that could help people achieve optimal health while helping to prevent disease. From that moment on, I was determined to study nutrition and fitness and its impact on health, and leverage these tools to help other people. This was part one of my transition into the health field.
Part two of my transition was when I met Chloe Temtchine, an award-winning singer-songwriter and entertainer, and also my current partner. We met in LA in late 2015. She was looking for a guitarist (we met on Craigslist of all places!).
When I met her, Chloe had the rare-disease Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH). She lived with PAH for many years. In August 2020, she had a life-saving double-lung transplant. Ever since meeting her, I’ve been obsessed with finding a cure for PAH, and finding cures for disease. I delved into the literature, learning everything I could. (To me, there are so many similarities between PAH, cancer and autoimmune conditions.)
Currently, my mission is to develop innovative treatments for PAH, to enhance organ transplantation outcomes, and to improve diagnostics and therapies for a range of diseases, including cancer and autoimmune disorders.
I’m also researching novel strategies to improve the predictive, generative, and reasoning capabilities of artificial intelligence.
Finally, I’m passionate about nutrition and fitness and how nutrition and fitness impact health and longevity. I firmly believe in the following principles:
- there is no one-size-fits-all approach to health (i.e., personalized approaches are the key)
- looking to evolutionary biology for clues and insights into healthy eating, healthy living, and for clues on how to develop modern therapies
- tackling health challenges requires creativity
- variation is key (e.g., food quantities and meal timing)
Career Highlights
In my career, I’ve:
- Developed a pipeline for extraction and analysis of clinical data for remote autoimmune patient trials.
- Contributed to developing novel gene signatures from patient transcriptome data.
- Assisted in creating an AI/ML pipeline for analyzing biological image data for high-throughput drug screening campaigns.
- Successfully led multiple R&D projects and ensured further funding and development.
- Generated significant revenue through grants and contracts from organizations like NASA, DOD, NIH, and DOE.
- Developed and implemented machine learning-based sensor autocalibration protocols for sensor systems.
- Created numerous compact gas and water-based sensor technologies for next-generation NASA spacecraft systems.
- Reduced company costs by improving business processes and management procedures.
- Co-founded and grew a health/fitness company and an apparel company to generate significant annual revenue.
Current Focus Areas
Here’s what I’m doing now, and focusing on:
- Leveraging Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence to create innovative solutions in life science and healthcare
- Researching Generative AI and developing applications based on Generative AI (Foundation Models, Large Language Models, Multi-modal Transformers, etc.)
- Researching novel strategies to improve the predictive, generative, and reasoning capabilities of artificial intelligence
- Working full-time as a Senior Data Scientist
- Performing as a studio musician and a solo musician for weddings and private events
- Raising awareness for PAH and Organ Transplants by fundraising and supporting The Chloe Temtchine Foundation