About Me

I am a Biological Anthropologist studying how lived experience shapes human biology, health, and aging, with a focus on how eustress, or facing positive, surmountable challenges, supports healthy functioning across the life course. This interest stems from my experiences as a collegiate athlete, where I learned that stress is not inherently harmful, but context-dependent, with the capacity to either strengthen long-term health or undermine it.

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My research builds on this perspective by examining how different forms of challenge shape physiological processes involved in health and aging, often in ways that challenge simple models of stress as uniformly harmful. Across my work, I study how physical activity, social experience, and ecological context interact to moderate associations between stress and aging, drawing on collaborative projects including the Vietnam Health and Aging Study and the Human Biology of Stress and Sports Team. I am especially interested in how exposures in one domain can shape responses in another, reflecting the fact that humans have evolved to meet diverse demands through a limited set of shared physiological systems.

 

Alongside my academic work, I have also worked in the private sector, including as a Senior Survey Analyst at Morning Consult, where I gained experience with large datasets, rapid analytic workflows, and translating complex findings for diverse audiences. Experience across academic and industry settings has strengthened my adaptability as a researcher and mentor and shapes how I train students to think critically and work reproducibly while navigating complexity and uncertainty in real-world scientific problems within and beyond the academy.

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If you are interested in collaborating, getting involved in research, or exploring these questions further, I welcome you to reach out.