About Me

I am a biological anthropologist studying how lived experience shapes human biology, health, and aging. A particular focus of my work is eustress — positive, surmountable challenges — which first drew me to the broader study of stress in complex environments. As a collegiate athlete, I learned firsthand that stress is not inherently harmful but deeply context-dependent, with the capacity to strengthen long-term health in some situations and undermine it in others.

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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 complicate simple models of stress as uniformly harmful. Across my work, I investigate how physical activity, social experience, and ecological context interact to shape biological responses to stress, 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 alter responses in another, reflecting the fact that humans evolved to meet diverse demands using a limited set of shared physiological systems.

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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 working with large datasets, rapid analytic workflows, and translating complex findings for diverse audiences. Experience across academic and industry settings has shaped my approach to research and mentorship, emphasizing adaptability, critical thinking, and reproducible methods for navigating complex real-world 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.