She is an expert in family processes and mental health in ethnic minority families, racial identity, parenting, and adolescent psychopathology. Her current research focuses on general and cultural aspects of parenting in African American families and how they predict mental health outcomes and sexual behavior in African American adolescents. She is investigating how African American parents communicate with their adolescent children about racial discrimination and how these efforts affect mental health outcomes in African American adolescents. She also is studying the longitudinal effects of racism exposure on the psychological functioning of African American adolescents.