She received her PhD in Clinical and Health Psychology at the University of Pittsburgh and completed her clinical internship at the Brown University Clinical Psychology Training Consortium in 2001. Her research interests are twin and family studies and molecular genetics in cardiovascular behavioral medicine. Recent projects include: genetic and environmental contributions to metabolic dysregulation associated with cardiovascular disease, environmental contributions of socioeconomic status to health behaviors and cardiovascular disease, genetic variation that contributes to depression among cardiac patients and genetic variation that contribute to the ability to lose weight. Link to Brown Research Profile