She received her PhD in psychology from the Université du Québec à Montréal ... (1997), Montréal, Canada. She pursued post-doctoral research at Washington State University, Center for the Study of Animal Well-being before being promoted to her current research assistant professor position. She is the ISAE (International Society for Applied Ethology) representative on the AAALAC International Board of Trustees, and also a member of the Washington State University Environmental Enrichment Committee. She is a past president and current board member of the Society for Veterinary Medical Ethics. The focus of her research is on animal welfare and human-animal interaction in the laboratory environment.