I am a bariatric surgeon and obesity medicine specialist based in Portland, Oregon. I completed my general surgery residency at UCLA and a bariatric surgery fellowship at Duke University. I am double board-certified in surgery and obesity medicine and have authored more than 60 peer-reviewed publications. I regularly give invited talks in both academic and industry settings. My clinical work focuses on integrating modern pharmacologic therapies, including GLP-1–based treatments, with bariatric surgery, particularly for patients with severe obesity, prior surgery, or complex treatment histories. I also have a strong interest in the history and cultural context of obesity, drawing from both medical scholarship and real-world clinical experience to better understand how obesity is perceiv...