She participated in the Spring 2002 multidisciplinary science work group, sponsored by the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) and The Office of Rare Diseases at NIH, that examined nursing research needs and opportunities in biodefense. She is currently investigating the relationship between post-traumatic stress disorder, lifetime trauma, the stress hormone cortisol, and immune function in battered women in a project funded by NINR. She holds a PhD in Nursing from Wayne State University and a Master and Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania.