She received her PhD in philosophy, with a specialization in bioethics, from Michigan State University in 2008. Her research focuses on the ethical and practical questions raised by research on human judgment and decision making. She has received funding for her conceptual work from a Greenwall Foundation Faculty Scholars Award and is a co-investigator on an NIH funded study to investigate decision making in the clinical integration of whole genome sequencing, and is principal investigator on a PCORI award to develop a patient decision aid for ventricular assist device placement.