Research That Centers People

I came to public health because I saw how data — when used well — could change the conversation about who gets help and who gets left behind. That belief has guided my career across epidemiological research, program evaluation, data science, and policy advocacy, always with a focus on disability and autism.

My connection to this work is personal. I lost both of my grandmothers to breast cancer. They also lived with physical disabilities, and I believe that social determinants — where they lived, what care was available to them, the cultural context they navigated — played a role in whether they were screened early enough and treated effectively. Their experiences showed me, long before I had the language for it, that health outcomes are shaped by systems, not just biology.

I also have family members on the autism spectrum, including one relative who I believe never received a formal diagnosis because of cultural stigma surrounding autism. In many communities, the label itself carries a weight that prevents families from seeking evaluation or support — which means people go through life without the services and understanding they deserve. That reality fuels my work on health equity and my commitment to making sure data captures the people who are being missed, not just the people who are already in the system.

Before I ever analyzed a dataset or wrote a grant, I worked as a Travel Trainer at the Center for Independent Living of North Central Florida, teaching people with disabilities how to navigate public transportation independently. That experience — sitting alongside people as they learned to move through a world not built for them — shaped everything that followed. It taught me that disability is not a clinical abstraction. It is a lived experience that intersects with transportation, housing, food access, employment, and every other determinant of health.

Today I serve as Director of Data Science & Evaluation at Autism Speaks, where I lead national data initiatives that translate complex datasets into programs and policies that make a real difference. My flagship projects include Autism by the Numbers, the organization's comprehensive analysis of autism prevalence, services, and outcomes, and Autism FIT, a program adapting evidence-based health promotion interventions specifically for autistic individuals. This work sits at the intersection of what I care most about: using rigorous methods to address the health disparities that autistic people and people with disabilities face every day.

I also teach as Adjunct Professor at Drexel University's Dornsife School of Public Health, where I mentor graduate students and help prepare the next generation of researchers to center disability in their public health practice. Mentorship matters to me because the field needs more people who understand that disability is a public health issue — not an afterthought.

What I Work On

My research spans autism epidemiology, food insecurity among people with disabilities, physical activity and health promotion, healthcare quality and access, and the application of large-scale administrative datasets to answer population health questions. I have served as Principal Investigator on CDC-funded research, led evaluations for major national organizations, and published in JAMA Pediatrics, the Disability and Health Journal, and the Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics.

I have also worked across the full research lifecycle — from study design and data collection through statistical analysis and program evaluation to grant development and stakeholder communication. Whether I'm analyzing prevalence data, evaluating a community health program, or writing a federal grant proposal, the question I keep coming back to is the same: does this work actually improve someone's life?

Beyond the Research

I believe that good science isn't enough on its own — it needs advocates who can carry it into the rooms where decisions get made. That conviction has led me to take on leadership roles in the field, including serving as Chair and now Past-Chair of the Disability Section of the American Public Health Association, one of the largest professional communities for disability and public health researchers. I review for major journals and grant agencies including NIDILRR, and I mentor early-career professionals because investing in the next generation of disability researchers is one of the most impactful things any of us can do.

When I'm not working with data or mentoring students, I'm advocating for the policies and funding that the disability community needs — whether that means writing to my local representatives about threats to special education funding or pushing for better data collection practices at the national level. The line between research and advocacy, for me, has never been very thick.

If you're working on something where rigorous data, disability expertise, or program evaluation could help, I'd welcome the conversation.