She received a PhD in Epidemiology from Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. While there, she was a fellow in the Maternal Child Health Epidemiology Doctoral Training Program sponsored by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Her research interests center around health disparities present in rates for infant mortality, childhood obesity, and HIV in women. She serves on the board of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Youth Health Coalition and is a regular consultant and evaluator for their Childhood Obesity Initiative.