Nicole is a Physician Assistant residing in Virginia, USA. She obtained a BS at James Madison University in 2000 and then completed the Master of Physician Assistant program at Eastern Virginia Medical School in 2004. She practiced in urgent care and occupational medicine settings until debilitating iatrogenic illness and akathisia from over-rapid psychiatric polypharmacy left her unable to work.

Nicole volunteers her time helping with ongoing benzodiazepine awareness initiatives, including Benzodiazepine Information Coalition and the Benzodiazepine Action Work Group of the Colorado Consortium. Nicole co-founded The Withdrawal Project, an effort of the nonprofit Inner Compass Initiative, and she does marketing, distribution, and outreach for the documentary, Medicating Normal (as seen on PBS). She also founded a Facebook support group for psychiatric drug withdrawal that she co-administrates. 

Nicole hopes to continue using her medical and lived experience to advocate for more education and awareness around psychiatric drug risks and akathisia.