About Me
Mackenzie grew up in rural Nevada and attended the University of Nevada, Reno, for both her undergraduate and medical education. She developed an early interest in neurology, earning a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience before pursuing an MBA to better understand healthcare systems and the financial barriers in patient care. With a background in health insurance and finance, she founded a financial literacy curriculum at her medical school. Passionate about medical education, she has led a medical curriculum at a lower SES high school, taught English as a second language, tutored for the ACT college entrance exam, and served as a neurology clerkship instructor. As president of the UNR medical research group, she helped develop of culture of student-led research, by getting others involved in research while conducting her own, including systematic reviews, healthcare disparities studies at the free student outreach clinic, and research on stroke recrudescence, aligning with her interest in vascular neurology. Outside of medicine, she enjoys gardening, playing and watching sports, pickleball, and spending time with her boyfriend, Jack, and their cats.
