Her PhD in neuroscience is from the University of Minnesota. She specializes in neuroscience and physiology and is particularly interested in examining how neuroendocrine systems influence or are affected by different activities or events in a person’s life. She is also interested in issues around obesity and how obesity may influence the functioning of the HPA (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal) axis and the HPG (hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal) axis.