She holds a Sc.B. from Brown University and a Ph.D. from Harvard University. Her current research focus is on understanding the role of fatty acids in longevity and stress resistance, using the model organism C. elegans. She has several students working in her lab, and has a close collaboration with the Blackwell lab at Harvard University. She teaches 12 "face-time" hours each semester, advises 17 students, and is a member of several departmental and campus-wide committees. She has taught Genetics, lecture and lab, Anatomy and Physiology, lecture and lab, General Biology, and is developing a research-based course on the molecular regulation of aging.