.jpg)
Associate Professor
University of Kansas Medical Center
I am a licensed clinical psychologist with expertise in health decision-making in the context of chronic disease, treatment adherence, and decision neuroscience. My laboratory investigates the clinical phenotypes and neural foundations of health-related decisions, including food choices and physical activity, especially in individuals with chronic diseases like Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and Cystic Fibrosis. I have published more than 80 peer-reviewed articles on health decisions, treatment adherence, pediatric eating behaviors, feeding, reward and decision-making, obesity’s effect on the brain’s reward regions, and brain plasticity pre to post obesity intervention. I have served as the Principal Investigator or Co-Investigator on federally funded projects. I will use my expertise in eating behaviors, obesity, motivational interviewing, and health decision-making, to contribute to the proposed project on adults with MS, mobility, and weight loss.