Dr. Silveira is an associate professor in palliative medicine at the University of Michigan and a clinical scientist at the Ann Arbor Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC). Dr. Silveira was moved to become a pioneer in palliative care after witnessing the unaddressed suffering of countless patients during her medical school training in the 1990's. After completing her clinical training, she studied health services research through the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program. Early in her research career, Dr. Silveira conducted observational studies to document the high symptom burden among patients at the end of life, examine the use of advance directives, and demonstrate the relationship between economic status and symptom control. Inspired to improve the lives of the patients Dr. Silveira studied and saw in clinic, she has devoted the last 10 years to developing information technology to support patients with symptoms so that they may access safe and effective symptom management advice, communicate more efficiently and effectively with their clinicians, and involve their family caregivers.