About me

Before pursuing a PhD, I worked as a clinical social worker in pain medicine, addiction treatment, and integrated primary care settings. I was drawn to research by questions I kept encountering in practice, namely why chronic pain so often comes with mental health and substance use problems, why care falls short for people living with more than one of these conditions, and how it could be made more accessible and effective.

At the University of Southern California, I focused on veterans, a population with especially high rates of chronic pain, posttraumatic stress, and substance use. I used interviews and daily surveys to understand how these problems unfold in daily life. I also worked with social work and engineering researchers at USC’s Center for Artificial Intelligence in Society, which instilled a sense that the intersection of social work and computing could lead to novel solutions, while also introducing new challenges. I left USC with a range of skills, from qualitative research and user-centered design to intensive longitudinal and machine learning methods.

I joined NYU Silver in 2024. Alongside my work with veterans, I am increasingly focused on emerging adults, whose transitions into adult life can shape both their pain and their access to care, and provide opportunities to intervene earlier. I recently received an NIH HEAL National K12 Clinical Pain Career Development Award to study social work practice in chronic pain care, with emerging adults as a priority population.

I have also continued to expand my work into the study of AI and technology in social work. I direct the post-master’s program in Artificial Intelligence in Social Work and Mental Health, which trains the behavioral health workforce on AI. I also teach graduate courses on social work practice and quantitative data analysis.

My research is grounded in over a decade of clinical practice. My clinical training and expertise include motivational interviewing, acceptance and commitment therapy, and other mindfulness-based approaches.