Overview

I’m a qualitative researcher and Postdoctoral Scholar at Arizona State University, working across two interdisciplinary centers with a shared mission: to strengthen the equity, resilience, and effectiveness of our public health and emergency response systems.

At the School of Complex Adaptive Systems (SCAS), I lead national research on the fairness and effectiveness of artificial intelligence in emergency services—working closely with fire departments, EMS agencies, and 911 centers to understand how new technologies can support (or complicate) frontline work. At the Health Observatory, I serve as a public health researcher and Program Manager for the Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP), a statewide initiative focused on infectious disease readiness and health system coordination.

My professional passions lie in understanding and amplifying the experiences and labor of patients—especially those managing chronic conditions and navigating fragmented care systems. I am driven by the need to center patient voices in how health systems and technologies are designed, implemented, and evaluated.

My work bridges Health Services Research (HSR), Science and Technology Studies (STS), Health Informatics, and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), with a central focus on equity and real-world impact.

Mission Statement

My mission is to apply an equity lens and empathetic approach to ensure health systems and technologies serve the people who need them most. I believe research should be actionable, community-informed, and oriented toward building stronger, more responsive systems.

Research Focus

My research explores how people interact with complex systems—especially during moments of vulnerability, crisis, or care.

I specialize in:

  • Patient Work: Investigating the labor patients and caregivers do to navigate fragmented healthcare systems and manage chronic conditions.

  • Public Health & Emergency Services: Understanding how public-facing technologies (like AI-based decision support tools or screening systems) are adopted, adapted, and experienced by professionals and communities.

  • Qualitative Methods: Using interviews, field observations, and user journey mapping to surface deep insights and co-develop solutions.

  • Equity-Centered Design: Bringing frontline perspectives into the design, evaluation, and implementation of technologies and services.

Current Projects

  • AI in Fire/EMS/911 Services (SCAS): Leading national qualitative research on the fairness, transparency, and operational impact of AI tools in emergency services.

    Includes fieldwork with dispatch centers and fire/EMS agencies, interviews with frontline responders, and systems mapping for human-centered implementation

  • Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) (Health Observatory): Program manager of an Arizona statewide effort to strengthen infectious disease response through cross-agency planning, stakeholder engagement, and policy-ready deliverables. Includes infection control plan reviews, workshop development, and the creation of a searchable preparedness repository.

Additional Roles & Ongoing Collaborations

  • Education Research Consultant at Knovva Academy: Applying expertise in patient-centered health research and qualitative methodologies to address key challenges in education

  • Co-lead of the Patient Work Translational Team: Guiding a dynamic group of researchers, professors, public health experts, and students in transdisciplinary, community-engaged research

Education

Professional Impact

My work has contributed to:

  • Equity-informed guidance for AI implementation in high-stakes public services

  • Real-world improvements in emergency preparedness planning and infectious disease response

  • Tools and frameworks for understanding and supporting patient work in chronic care

  • Cross-sector partnerships that bridge research, policy, and frontline practice

Personal Interests

When I’m not in the field or at my desk, I’m most likely:

  • Exploring my beloved home of Arizona

  • Logging miles as a trail runner and half-marathoner

  • Practicing at-home yoga

  • Spoiling my niece and nephews as the proudest Auntie

  • Getting lost in fantasy novels