She specializes in Latin American colonial literature and postcolonial theory, with a particular emphasis on comparative colonialism, and was the co-organizer of the UBC Postcolonial Research Cluster. Other research and teaching interests include the notion of cultural hybridity, the relationship between human rights and literature, and the legacy of colonialism in contemporary Latin American literature and culture. She has also co-edited a volume (with Alessandra Santos) entitled The Utopian Impulse in Latin America (Palgrave Macmillan, 2011).