The importance of caring for the aging population has been ingrained in me since childhood. My dad was, and still is, a physician dedicated to treating the geriatric population. As a kid, I would watch in awe as my dad called his long list of patients to check on every Saturday morning. I had no question that I also wanted to improve the lives of older adults, but at the time wasn’t quite sure how. I was born and raised in Phoenix and left the sunshine and mountains of Arizona to attend Northwestern University for college. After graduating with a B.S. in Communication Studies, I served as a hospice counselor for several years before pursuing a career in research. Working closely with aging and terminally ill patients sparked my interest in understanding the link between nutrition and the prevention of age-related disease. Since this experience, I have been fortunate to train with experts in the fields of aging, nutrition, metabolism, and obesity. My focus on the basic science of aging and metabolism began as I pursued my Ph.D. in Nutritional Biology at UC Davis where I studied the effects of caloric restriction and aging on whole body energy metabolism in mice. Upon graduating as an Aggie, I returned home to Arizona to pursue a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Arizona Cancer Center where I studied sleep disturbance and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Texas focused on obesity and Type II Diabetes. I joined the faculty at The University of Arizona College of Medicine in September 2018 where I lead my research team in conducting our research focused on understanding the role of metabolism and obesity in aging and healthspan.
Outside Interests:
I enjoy doing just about anything outdoors, particularly running and hiking around beautiful Tucson. Sabino Canyon is my all-time favorite running spot. My husband and I adopted a Sonoran Desert Tortoise from the Desert Museum here in Tucson. He keeps us entertained with his lightning speed morning walks around the yard.
Research Interests:
Although my research interests shift as we make discoveries and ask new questions, my primary focus is to improve human health and prevent age-related metabolic disorders.