I have broad research interests in the social and structural determinants of health and a passion for creating research and classroom spaces in which each student can intellectually and personally flourish. My current work focuses on the contexts of tobacco and cannabis use among adolescents and young adults, including research on how young people use tobacco products with characterizing flavors and how e-cigarette use is portrayed on TikTok and other social media. Another thread of my research has focused on environmental determinants of health, especially inequity in urban forests. My research values include health equity, systems thinking, and active engagement of student research collaborators.

I am an assistant professor of Community & Behavioral Health in the University of Iowa College of Public Health. In addition to my collaborative research in adolescent and young adult tobacco use, I currently chair the Health Equity Advancement Lab, lead communications for the Prevention Research Center for Rural Health, and am the new director of the Community Engagement Core of the Iowa Superfund Research Center.