Swenson's specialties include prevention research, intervention development, health disparities and sexual health. She did her undergraduate work at Kalamazoo College in Michigan and her doctorate in clinical psychology at the University at Albany, New York. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship in pediatric psychology in the Brown University department of psychiatry and Human Clinical Psychology Training Consortium. Swenson has been involved in several major projects funded by the National Institute of Mental Health aimed at reducing risk behaviors among adolescents with psychiatric disorders. She has a particular interest in health disparities and the impact of culture and context on engagement in risk behaviors and healthcare-seeking among underrepresented populations.