She obtained her Bachelor of Social Work from St. Olaf College in 1994, Master of Social Work degree from the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in 1995, and her Ph.D from the University of Maryland in 2002. Her research interests pertain to grief and loss reactions in caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease, male caregiver issues, and the impact of client suicide on social workers. Clinically, Dr. Sanders has worked as a hospice social worker and a chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association.