She currently serves as the PI for Iowa's Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network Collaborating Center. She is trained as a behavioral scientist with an emphasis in health communication. Her research at the Public Policy Center is focused on maternal, child and family health. She recently completed studies on parent-child communication about nutrition and the implementation of the new school meal requirements with a focus on rural school districts. She recently concluded a mixed method study on health care provider behavior related to the completion of the HPV vaccine series, and is currently evaluating Iowa’s PREP program (adolescent pregnancy prevention) and the Healthy Behavior Incentives program, a component of the Iowa Health and Wellness Plan.