His research focuses on cerebral microcirculation. He earned his Ph.D. in exercise physiology at Florida State University, where he studied performance in competitive cyclists. He held postdoctoral positions at the Yale University School of Medicine and the John B. Pierce Institute, where he developed a new surgical procedure for the visualization of microvessels of muscle, work that resulted in a prestigious and competitive Scientist Development Grant from the American Heart Association (2004-2007). He was hired as an assistant professor at ISU in 2004, where his research has focused on cerebral microvasculature and its role in stroke, dementia, and aging.