"I enjoy helping people adopt lifestyle changes that can help prevent disease and improve quality of life."

Health educator Lauren Mayhew, M.B.A., joined the staff of the Center for Health Promotion and Wellness at MIT Medical in January 2007. Her office is on the second floor of MIT Medical in Cambridge.

Mayhew, whose special interests include stress reduction, chronic disease prevention, workplace wellness, and yoga, works primarily with graduate students and employees. "I really enjoy working with these groups to promote self-care and a holistic approach to health and well-being," she says.

After completing an undergraduate degree in Spanish and an M.B.A., Mayhew originally intended to pursue a career in international business. After several years in the corporate world, however, she started reevaluating her goals and priorities. "As a result of close family members being diagnosed with cancer, I became interested in stress reduction and complementary medicine," she explains.

As part of her career realignment, Mayhew took a job in the World Languages program at UMass Boston. She also began developing her other interests, became certified as a yoga instructor, and eventually became a health educator at UMass.

Eventually, Mayhew started her own business, teaching yoga and stress-reduction techniques to employees at schools and nonprofit organizations. Her experience in the corporate world really helped her understand employee needs, she says. "My business training comes in handy in other ways, too," she says. "I often use my skills to critically review and analyze different ways to bring health management programs to the workplace."

When not at work, Mayhew enjoys practicing and teaching yoga, reading, and being outdoors.

"I like doing what is tried and true and best for the patient, rather than following the latest fad. Trained as a scientist, I apply that critical thinking to surgical procedures for my patients."

Orthopedic surgeon Robert Miegel, M.S., M.D., just started seeing patients at MIT Medical early this year, but he is not new to MIT. He earned his undergraduate degree here (Course 7) as well as a master's degree in materials science. "I really enjoy being back here," he said. "I have run into a few of my professors and classmates on campus already."

Miegel sees patients on the first floor Surgical Specialties area of MIT Medical in Cambridge on Thursday mornings.

Miegel, who earned his medical degree at the State University of New York at Buffalo, says he approaches new developments in surgical techniques as a scientist. "I was trained at MIT, after all," he smiles. When evaluating a new technique, Miegel says he only adopts those procedures that are backed by valid research.

He's applied this evaluation process in evaluating software for computer-assisted surgical navigation in joint replacement surgery. An early adopter of this technology, Miegel evaluated several different software packages before helping Mount Auburn Hospital select the Stryker system. "In joint replacement surgery, exact positioning of the new joint, within millimeters, is crucial to its proper functioning and the patient's rehabilitation," Miegel explains. With the new technology, sensors placed on the joint and bone help guide the surgeon in precise positioning of the new joint.

Miegel, who is married with a grown son and a young daughter, enjoys spending time with his family, playing golf, fly fishing, and watching baseball. Yes, he is a Red Sox fan.

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"Being an athlete myself, it's only natural I developed an interest in orthopedics and sports medicine."

Orthopedic physician assistant Lampros Minos, P.A.-C., began seeing patients at MIT in February 2007. He sees patients every Wednesday afternoon on the first floor Surgical Specialties area at MIT Medical in Cambridge.

An avid athlete himself, Minos has always been interested in sports medicine and began his career as an athletic trainer after earning a degree in health sciences from Boston University. "After working as a trainer for a few years, I decided I wanted to do more, so I decided to train as a physician assistant," he explains.

Minos left his native Boston and headed to southern California to attend the physician assistant program at Charles Drew University. After earning a second degree in health sciences and his physician assistant certificate, he arranged a special three-month training program in surgery at Martin Luther King/Drew Medical Center in Los Angeles. "That surgical training was invaluable," he says. "I worked at a Level I trauma center and gained a tremendous amount of experience with all types of injuries."

In his current position, Minos assists orthopedic surgeons in the operating room two days a week. "It's great working so closely with the surgeons in our practice," he says. He sees many patients who don't need surgery, but, he says, getting a consultation from one of the surgeons when needed is seamless.

Minos is a self-described "golf fanatic," who says he would play every day if he could. He also enjoys competing in triathlons, coaching flag football, and spending time with his wife and three children.

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"Listening to patients is key-it enables me to understand a patient's concerns, and I always end up learning something new. Everyone has something to teach."

Internist Evelyn Picker, M.D., began seeing patients at MIT Medical in December 2006. She sees patients Monday through Friday on the second floor of MIT Medical in Cambridge.

Picker grew up in New York and came to Massachusetts to attend Tufts University. "I always wanted to be a doctor but did a short stint as a reporter and considered medical research before coming back to what I always wanted to do, practice medicine," she says. She studied medicine at the Medical College of Pennsylvania and returned to Boston to do her internship and residency in internal medicine at the New England Deaconess Hospital.

After her residency, Picker started her own practice, and after 10 years moved to a hospital-run community practice. After 26 years in internal medicine, one of the things she says she likes best is getting to know her patients and building relationships with them. "I think it is a real privilege when people let you walk into their lives and allow you to make a difference," she explains. Picker also feels like her own life experiences enable her to empathize with and understand many of the issues her patients face. "In addition to having a doctor's perspective, I bring the perspective of a working mother, an adult daughter, and now a middle-aged woman."

Picker is an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School. She describes herself as "the mother of three great kids and one Jack Russell Terrier." In addition to spending time with her family, she enjoys the outdoors and playing piano, guitar, and harp.

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"Getting patients back to a sport or activity that they enjoy after they've suffered an injury is one of the most gratifying parts of my job."

Orthopedic surgeon Anthony Schena, M.D., joined the MIT Medical staff early in 2007. He sees patients on Tuesday afternoons on the first floor of MIT Medical.

Schena, who says he always knew he would go to medical school, attended Bowdoin College in Maine where he earned his bachelor's degree and played on the football team. "I've played football for as long as I can remember," he says, "so I've always had an interest in sports and sports-related injuries." That interest, coupled with a severe ligament tear in his knee during his senior year at Bowdoin, led him to orthopedic surgery as a career.

A Massachusetts native, Schena earned his medical degree at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester and went on to complete his internship, residency, and research fellowship there. He completed a sports medicine fellowship in Boston at the New England Baptist Hospital.

Sports-related injuries continue to be of particular interest to him. "Not only can the injuries be quite complex, but they can affect the lifestyles of patients at all ages," he explains.

When not at work, Schena enjoys spending time with his wife and three children. "My family life doesn't give me much time for other activities," he laughs, "but when I can, I also enjoy working out at the gym."

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"Taking the time to really focus on communication with my patients is important to me. I want to help them understand their healthcare, so they can act as their own advocate."

Internist Stephanie Shapiro, M.D., joined MIT Medical in early May 2007. She sees patients Monday through Friday on the second floor at MIT Medical in Cambridge.

Shapiro developed an interest in medical anthropology at Wesleyan University, never planning to practice medicine. "I was interested in international health and health theory," she explains. After graduating from Wesleyan, she entered a joint M.D.-Ph.D. program in medical anthropology at the University of Connecticut. "I was interested in learning medicine as a new area of competence, similar to learning another language," she explains.

Once she began seeing patients, though, she was hooked on clinical medicine. "I realized I wasn't a theorist after all," she explains. In the end, she earned her medical degree and her master's degree in medical anthropology. "Although my current career is far removed from my study of international health, my academic background helps me understand how patients from different cultures view healthcare and what some of the barriers might be," she says.

Shapiro settled on internal medicine because, she says, she enjoyed the challenge of making diagnoses and the diverse medical knowledge it required. "In internal medicine, I feel like I need to know a little bit of everything," she explains, "and I love that."

She came to Massachusetts to do her residency at the Lahey Clinic and stayed on as a clinician for eight years. Now at MIT, Shapiro says she enjoys the patient population in part because of the diversity. "I enjoy seeing patients of all ages," she explains.

In her free time, Shapiro enjoys spending time with her husband and young daughter. She also enjoys cooking and hiking.

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