Dr. Tabitha Vase grew up in the Amazon basin of Peru and in the coastal forests of rural Maine. She grew up reading “Where There is No Doctor” and translating for visiting medical teams, so it’s no surprise she developed an interest in health and health access early in life.
After weathering Maine winters, she decided to move to sunnier shores and chose Pomona College for her undergraduate pre-med studies, where she majored in French and studied approaches to childhood nutrition in France. She also met her husband there, where they bonded over their globetrotting childhoods and a shared love of math and board games.
After college, she worked on a research team to help childhood cancer survivors improve their long-term health. After that, she headed to the Bay Area for medical school and residency training at the University of California, San Francisco.
Dr. Vase is passionate about all things related to child health, and she especially loves to talk about mental health, nutrition, and parenting. She chose Kids Plus because of its incredible team, as well its behavioral health program and holistic approach. She learns every day from her patients, their parents, and her two young children.
As a child, one of her favorite toys was her American Girl doll (with clothes handmade by her grandmother and furniture handmade by her grandfather). She’s excited that her son is old enough to play board games now, and has had fun both introducing him to her childhood favorites and learning new ones. She loves the Harry Potter series and can listen to the audiobooks over and over (and over).
Dr. Vase’s favorite places to play in Pittsburgh include the Carnegie Science Center, Liberty Green playground, and Frick Park.