Previously she was an assistant professor in the Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. She received her Ph.D. in environmental sciences and engineering from the University of North Carolina and has done extensive laboratory and field research on waterborne transmission of infectious agents and diagnosis and epidemiology of enteric virus infections. She is a member of the Water Science and Technology Board and also served as a member for the NRC Committee on Evaluation of the Viability of Augmenting Potable Water Supplied with Reclaimed Water and the Committee on Watershed Management for New York City.