About BHWP

My research portfolio spans both basic psychological science and applied community-based research and evaluation. I work across multiple states to oversee strategic development of sustainable research and program evaluation initiatives. I am also a certified Tobacco Treatment Specialist.

In my work as a behavioral scientist, I apply principles of evolutionary medicine, psychology, and psychiatry to the study of individual differences in human health and development.

Areas of interest include developmental psychobiology, behavioral endocrinology, behavioral health, addiction, and biometrical genetics. In particular, I am interested in effects of early childhood adversity on physical and neuropsychological development, how developmental trajectories in response to early adversity differ across individuals (including sex-specific effects), and how a better understanding of stress-mediated development may inform intervention efforts with children and families.

I also direct community-based research and evaluation projects with the goal of implementing, testing, and evaluating innovative and evidence-based strategies to support healthy behavior change. Projects are implemented both locally and nationally within behavioral health and integrated care clinics, hospitals, criminal justice systems, and other organizations or agencies serving vulnerable populations. Areas of focus include tobacco treatment, chronic disease prevention, health disparities, nutrition and physical activity, healthy sleep strategies, stress management, and family interventions.

I have been fortunate in my career to work with colleagues conducting sophisticated research on a broad range of human wellness topics, but I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to bring my research skills to bear in a more applied setting. When it comes to disseminating results and discoveries from academic research, I believe there often exists a gap between the “ivory tower” and the societal organizations that are in the best positions to utilize such information. It is a joy and a privilege to be part of a program committed to closing that gap!

I am an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry with the Behavioral Health and Wellness Program (BHWP) at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. I am also a Licensed Psychologist, Licensed Addiction Counselor, and EMDR Consultant. My clinical work has focused on the intersection of substance use disorders (SUDs), co-occurring trauma, anxiety, and mood disorders, and my research has spanned criminal justice related topics, SUDs, and integrating technology into treatment delivery and training. I have worked within a division of the Colorado Supreme Court to provide confidential well-being support, training, and consultation to the CO legal community and have directed a specialized residential treatment track for professionals with SUDs working in safety-sensitive occupations. I have also been the site-director for an APA approved internship track teaching the next generation of psychologists to competently and compassionately treat people with SUDs. I was recently honored to be selected as a committee member expert by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) to review and make recommendations to improve the drug and alcohol programs within the Department of Transportation (USDOT) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).  

I received BS degrees in Psychology and Criminal Justice from Loyola University Chicago, my PhD in Counseling Psychology from Arizona State University, and completed pre- and post-doctoral fellowships in Forensic Addiction Psychology at Yale School of Medicine. My award-winning dissertation project involved the development and evaluation of an interactive online training course to help law enforcement recognize mental health crises and effectively respond.  

It is the culmination of these experiences that brought me to the BHWP team. Everyone deserves access to evidence-based care, quality training, and workplaces that support well-being. I am thrilled to pivot my expertise in behavioral change toward public policy, research, and training and to increase individual wellness by effecting change at the community and organization level.   

In my personal time, I maintain my own well-being by staying physically active, reading, writing, practicing music and Bikram yoga, exploring new places, attempting to get adequate sleep, and eating nutritious food. I prioritize time with friends and family and get into nature whenever possible; I enjoy hiking, backpacking, and wildflower hunting in the summer and snowboarding in the winter.