Derek is an aspiring physician and passionate mental health advocate. A resident of Cupertino, CA, Derek graduated from the University of Connecticut (UConn) with a bachelors degree in Molecular Cell Biology and minor in Psychology.

His passion for mental health is rooted in his own experiences with mental health struggles and witnessing the struggles of others around him. Recognizing that his experiences were not unique, Derek chose to dedicate his efforts to bettering the wellness of his community – and even more so when he saw firsthand the devastating consequences associated with mental health issues and burnout. In the Winter of 2019, leading into 2020, two UConn students were tragically lost to suicide. In April 2020, a NYC ER Physician, Dr. Lorna Breen, died by suicide after weeks of fighting the COVID-19 pandemic on the front lines of healthcare. These tragic events, among many, inspire Derek to continue advocating for mental health.

As an aspiring physician, Derek saw how he was entering a field where discussions on mental health was oftentimes stigmatized and frowned upon throughout the entire pipeline. He also saw that grassroots efforts to promote wellness were limited in number and largely isolated to progressive institutions in the medical field. Drawing from his experiences as a mental health advocate at UConn, and tapping into the talented minds and experiences of his team and Board of Directors, Derek hopes to develop communities of support throughout the entire field – at medical schools to hospital systems across the nation – to transform the narrative of mental health in medicine.

Derek aspires to one day become a physician-advocate, utilizing medical expertise to inform forward-thinking public health policymaking and nonprofit efforts, with a focus on mental health advocacy.