I am a post-doctoral fellow at the South Carolina SmartState Center of Healthcare Quality housed within the Arnold School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina.

My research investigates how social relationships and structural inequalities shape mental and cognitive health across the life course, particularly for marginalized populations. I focus on the role of social networks as both protective resources and sites of constraint—especially in contexts where stigma and stress disrupt access to health-supportive information, resources, and opportunities. A central theme in my work is selective disclosure (a form of deception): how individuals decide when to share or conceal sensitive information, and how these decisions influence their psychological well-being and long-term health outcomes.

Years lived are not as important as the quality of those years. My research agenda is centered around promoting and maintaining healthspan (e.g., health years lived) as the capacity to live well not just longer, and I believe that stress, stigma, and social inequality are fundamental threats to that goal. My research bridges medical sociology, social psychology, and public health to inform population-level strategies that promote health equity and extend healthy, fulfilling years of life.