She examines associations between endogenous opioidergic activity and eating behavior, as well as multi-component interventions for individuals with problematic food cravings and/or diabetes. She received BAs in psychology and sociology from Northwestern University and a PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Arizona. She completed a clinical internship in Behavioral Medicine at the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, and then completed a T32 postdoctoral fellowship at the UCSF Osher Center before receiving a K23 from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). She is a licensed clinical psychologist in the state of California.