Biography
My program of research focuses on biobehavioral symptom science, specifically examining the biological mechanisms underlying the development and persistence of distressing symptoms, with the goal of advancing personalized treatment and self-management strategies to reduce distressing symptoms in individuals with chronic or life- threatening disease. In the area of pain, my focus has been on identifying genomic-based and epigenetic mechanisms that underlie the transition from acute to chronic pain and the development of interventions to reduce pain-related disability. Other areas of interest include developing tailored family-based interventions for symptom self-management and assessment and treatment of pain in individuals with current or past history of substance abuse and/or addiction.