About Me
I am the director of the Cancer Patient Support and Psychosocial Oncology programs at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist and an associate professor in the Section of Hematology and Oncology in the Department of Internal Medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.
My clinical and research interests include exploring the bio-psycho-social-cultural elements of health narratives in hopes of partnering with individuals to maximize quality of life. Trained as an historian and behavioral health provider, I consider the intersections of societal and cultural pressures across time within a contemporary understanding of individual adaptation. My particular interests include adjustment to chronic health conditions and maternal health, including pregnancy during cancer treatment, young adult survivorship, sleep quality, fertility and end-of-life care. My approach is narrative in nature. I am active in many committees throughout Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, including medical school admissions and faculty development, and teach in numerous programs, including Genetic Counseling and the Addiction Research and Clinical Health programs.
I received a bachelor’s degree in cognitive studies and Spanish literature at Vanderbilt University and a master’s degree in community counseling at The University of Texas at San Antonio. Additionally, I received a master’s degree in history and a doctorate in counseling and counselor education at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. I completed a postdoctoral fellowship in psychosocial oncology at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. I am working on a second PhD in history with attention to the resiliency of indigenous women as they adapted to epidemic disease.