Her research focuses on gender, health, and life course transitions in sub-Saharan Africa. Much of her research examines how adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa make key transitions to adulthood in the midst of an on-going HIV / AIDS epidemic. In particular, her work has examined on how the transition into marriage shapes the risks of HIV / AIDS among young women in sub-Saharan Africa. She is currently exploring the implications of single motherhood on women's poverty and children's health over the life course. Her findings have been published in leading journals, such as Demography, Social Forces, and Journal of Marriage and Family, and presented at international organizations, including the World Bank, WHO, UNFPA / UNICEF, and the Population Council.