Professional Background

I completed my undergraduate training in psychology and dance at the University of Kansas. I completed my graduate training at Rice University with a Ph.D. in psychology and emphasis in cognitive neuroscience. Following, graduate school I completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Kansas Medical Center. As a cognitive neuroscientist, my training and research has focused on applying neuroimaging methods to understand a variety of health behaviors, specifically focusing on addictive behaviors. This includes studies of self-regulation, impulsivity, reward processing and decision making. Specifically, I have used functional neuroimaging to understand how the brain influences health behaviors, such as smoking and eating, and how the brain can be changed through health behavior interventions. My research is funded by the American Cancer Society and National Institutes of Health. As Director of the Cognitive Neuroscience Unit at Hoglund Biomedical Imaging Center, I facilitate neuroimaging research by providing technical expertise to investigators and trainees interested in adding neuroimaging to their research programs. This includes numerous ongoing and completed collaborations in areas of aging, depression, smoking, obesity, gambling, social neuroscience, decision-making, resting state fMRI, and neuroeconomics.

As a researcher I am passionate about sharing my enthusiasm for research with students and discussing all aspects of the research process including but not limited to critically evaluating others’ research, developing research questions, and deciding what methods are most appropriate to answer a research question. I strive to motivate students to gain an understanding of how neuroimaging research can inform and enhance their research and training. I have had the opportunity to work with trainees at all levels from high school to faculty.

• BA, Dance, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS
• BA, Psychology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS
• MS, Psychology, Rice University, Houston, TX
• PhD, Psychology, Rice University, Houston, TX
• Post Doctoral Fellowship, Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS