She completed residency in general psychiatry and a fellowship in addiction psychiatry at the Medical University of South Carolina. Dr. Payne was then employed at the WJB Dorn Veteran's Administration and later joined the faculty in the Department of Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Science in 2012. She is board certified in general psychiatry and in addiction psychiatry. Her areas of interest include teaching medical students and residents, treating comorbid substance use and psychiatric disorders, and conducting research within the field of addiction psychiatry.