She received her MPH from the University of California, Berkeley, Department of Behaviorial Sciences, as well as her Ph.D. from the School of Public Health. Her current research integrates two fields: social epidemiology, within the broader area of public health, and program evaluation, as a synthesis of theory and methods applied to the evaluation of health and social programs while her current teaching and research plans contribute to the mission of providing "interdisciplinary education and research opportunities for students, residents and health professionals and primary care for individuals and families with particular reference to the different health needs of diverse communities.