She received her MA and PhD in psychology and behavioral neuroscience from the University of Southern California and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Portland Alcohol Research Center at Oregon Health and Sciences University. She was trained as a behavioral neuroscientist and psychopharmacologist. Her expertise draws from several domains including developmental neuroscience, learning and memory, social neuroscience, and addiction. While her previous research focused on how neuroplasticity could lead to adverse outcomes such as alcohol addiction, her current research explores how contemplative practices capitalize on neuroplasticity to promote well-being.