She is also a member of the Pardee RAND Graduate School faculty. Watkins uniquely combines a research background in substance abuse and mental health treatment services with a clinical background in treatment for substance use and co-occurring disorders, and she has focused on training substance abuse providers to deliver evidence-based mental health services to individuals with drug and alcohol problems. She is particularly interested in increasing access to treatment for vulnerable populations and in improving care for individuals with co-occurring mental disorders and substance abuse. Watkins received her M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania and was a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar at the University of California, Los Angeles, where she obtained her master's degree in health services.