The overarching goal of my research is to help prevent chronic diseases in later life, by focusing on energetic behaviors (sleep, diet, and physical activity) and their impact on body composition during growth and development. 

My lab includes the Unit for Energetic Behavior Research that conducts multidisciplinary epidemiological studies, using sensors to measure locomotor activity, advanced imaging to measure body composition, detailed nutritional assessment to measure energy intake and dietary behavior, geospatial methods to measure the neighborhood environment, and DNA collection for gene-behavior interaction analyses. In addition, my lab’s Unit for Optimizing Behavioral Interventions uses the Multiphase Optimization Strategy framework to design digital interventions to improve energetic behavior profiles in childhood.