She received her bachelor of arts degree in exercise, sport and health studies at UT Arlington in 1994. After earning a master’s degree at TCU and a Ph.D. from Purdue University, she was an assistant professor at Oklahoma State University for three years before returning to TCU. Her research has focused on the immune system and its interaction with exercise and influence on age- or inactivity-related diseases such as atherosclerosis and diabetes in elderly women and young adults.