David Phillips
A Pea-Sized Problem
Describing the aftermath of a pea-sized brain tumor that led to my being diagnosed with hydrocephalus and having the first of many shunts implanted at age 14, six months before starting my undergraduate career. Five years, 20 surgeries, and a coma later I received my B.A.
Last surgery in April 2008 was the first I got to plan. Learning about alternatives to shunts was enlightening, and the task of identifying and selecting a surgeon aggrivating. Nonetheless, the experience in the next to last semester of a graduate program inspired a project around a medical decision support system and has given focus for a prospective academic career.
About David Phillips:
Born and raised in Alexandria, VA, David embraces many identities: a Queerman, a person thriving against medical challenges, a project manager and strategist, and a Leather shaman and kink evangelist. Three decades of surviving with hydrocephalus and a lifelong affinity for computers have merged in a pursuit of information technology solutions to improve longitudinal care and decision-making for people with hydrocephalus.
