My research to date examines the associations between psychological factors (e.g., depression and anxiety) and chronic inflammatory (i.e., periodontal disease and cardiovascular disease) and metabolic (i.e., type 2 diabetes) diseases. I am interested in using multidisciplinary approaches to understand the mechanisms underlying the association between psychological factors and these chronic diseases, with the intention of translating epidemiologic and mechanistic findings into practical preventative interventions that can be easily disseminated in clinical settings (e.g., primary care and dental clinics).
