My memoir, Hitchhiking to Madness, is my first work of creative non-fiction. I am an Internal Medicine physician and Infectious Diseases specialist by training, and my career has featured over one hundred peer-reviewed scientific publications and numerous awards including the D. A. Henderson Award for a lifetime of achievement in global public health from the Infectious Diseases Society of America. My 35 years at Duke University included patient care, research and teaching. The last 10 years of my career I spent with FHI360, nurturing research skills among physician scientists in Africa and Asia and helping improve care for people with TB and AIDS. I am an emeritus professor at Duke and still get to work with younger doctors training in infectious diseases. I love learning new things (e.g., the basics of Astrophysics and the history of Soul Music!), and teaching, including with Duke’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. I am a gardener, conservationist, and birder, now serving as the President of the New Hope Audubon Society. I also enjoy more creative hobbies including watercolor and oil painting and sewing. My husband and I have four children and three grandchildren between us and enjoy living in North Carolina. Visit my website for photos, essays/blogs and more information. www.merrycontrarian.com