Originally from an impoverished family in Penang, Malaysia, I came to the United States on a full scholarship to attend Wellesley College, without that I would not become a doctor. I am an infectious disease specialist in the Boston area, and in 2005 left my position as a full-time professor of Medicine dedicating part of my time to humanitarian work; in HIV/AIDS and aiding in disaster relief in various parts of the world, including the Ebola outbreak, the Syrian, Rohingya refugee crises, the war in Yemen, and the coronavirus pandemic in New York. I am a three-time recipient of the President’s Volunteer Service Award. I am the lead author of many professional publications and presentations in my field and short pieces in Balloon Literary Journal, Vine Leave Press, Literally Stories, and Medpage Today. My books are Lest We Forget: A Doctor’s Experience with Life and Death During the Ebola Outbreak, and Into the Africa Out of Academia: A Doctor's Memoir. My forthcoming book The Girl Who Taught Herself to Fly will be out later this year.