Born and raised in a small town in northern California called Tracy, Dr. Ryan Cook first earned a BS in Molecular Biology from UC San Diego. After his undergraduate years, Dr. Cook spent six years working in a research lab, some time working for a pharmaceutical company and a little over a year working as a "Life Enrichment Assistant" in a retirement community and memory care facility. He says this last job was the best job ever- he was paid to plan parties, games and try to find novel ways to have fun!

Dr. Cook came to Iowa to attend Des Moines University where he earned his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine. His professional interests include behavior health, geriatrics, palliative care, LGBT health.

Dr. Cook and his husband, Adrian, have a fur-baby named Bagheera, who is a black cat named because of his resemblance to the panther in The Jungle Book. Dr. Cook has a love for art and music, but none of the talent. In his limited time away from the demands of his residency, he likes gardening, running and entertaining such as planning parties, game nights and movie nights.