She earned a Ph.D. in Nursing from University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. She is a nurse practitioner certified in pediatrics and family practice. Her research focuses on generation of knowledge and interventions to facilitate optimal health and psychosocial outcomes for children and adolescents at risk due to poverty, discrimination and/ or chronic illness. She has conducted research with Latino and Latina adolescents regarding healthy interpersonal relationships and prevention of dating violence. Other research projects have focused on sexual risk reduction, religiosity and spirituality among adolescents and improving health of chronically ill children.