My lab is dedicated to determining how suicide and eating disorders can be effectively predicted, treated, and prevented. We do this work because suicide and eating disorders are devastating. They affect millions of people worldwide, though the burdens are not felt equally across the population. Suicide and eating disorders disproportionately impact cis girls and women and the LGBTQIA+ community. My lab conducts research to clarify particularly at-risk groups through an intersectionality lens, understand multilevel risk processes within these intersectional at-risk groups, and develop and disseminate effective interventions for these groups.

For example, my current eating disorders work investigates structural processes contributing to eating disorder prevalence at the intersection of gender, sexual orientation, and race. My current suicide work investigates multilevel suicide risk processes at the intersection of rurality and sexual orientation. Suicide and eating disorders are incredibly complex, so much of my work uses advanced quantitative methods to capture and model this complexity.

My lab is currently housed in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Health at the Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine. I’m beyond excited that in Fall 2024, my lab will move to the Department of Psychology at the University of Oregon.

I will be reviewing clinical psychology PhD applications for students interested in eating disorders and/or suicide for Fall 2024 admission. See the 2024 Applicants section for more info. I’ll also be hiring a lab manager to begin September 2024. More details to come on this position!