I specialize in qualitative and mixed-methods research and analysis. I have worked in both the field of anthropology as well as public health. I have conducted studies as Principal Investigator and also worked as a research assistant on large-scale National Institutes of Health funded collaborative research projects. As a medical anthropologist, my research centers on public health, mental health, health disparities, policy, and social determinants of health, with extensive experience in the United States (Florida and Texas) and Italy (Sicily). I have worked extensively with diverse and vulnerable populations, allowing me to gain the skills and experience required to support research with individuals navigating difficult health circumstances. I have also developed and taught health-related courses at both the undergraduate and graduate level at the University of South Florida and the University of Central Florida.
From 2024-2026, I worked as a Postdoctoral Research Scholar in the Department of Population Health Sciences at the University of Central Florida. This research focused on structural interventions to improve the overall health and well-being of communities living in North Texas. From 2025-2026 I conducted a pilot study on the mental health of immigrants living in Central Florida, focusing on anxiety and depression.
From 2022-2023 I worked as Visiting Lecturer in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Central Florida. I taught both undergraduate and graduate courses in Medical Anthropology, Cultural Anthropology, Sex, Gender, and Culture, Peoples of the World, and General Anthropology.
From 2020-2022 I worked as an adjunct instructor at UCF. During this time, I taught courses such as Ethnographic Methods, Cultural Anthropology, and Global Health.
I graduated with my doctorate in Applied Anthropology (focus in medical anthropology) from the University of South Florida. My dissertation entitled, “Mental Health and the Effects of Stress and Violence on Migrant Farmworker Communities During the COVID-19 Pandemic," focused on immigrants living in Central Florida. This research focused on immigrant mental health and the health disparities that affected immigrants in Central Florida during the pandemic. During this time, I also taught undergraduate courses in anthropology, including Health, Illness, and Culture and Cultural Anthropology.
I received my M.A. in Anthropology and a certificate in non-profit management from the University of Central Florida. My M.A. thesis focused on adult and unaccompanied minor refugees living in Sicily and their lived experiences after their initial flight from their home countries and after arriving in Sicily. This research included participant observation and interviews with 43 refugees, 6 migrants, and 14 NGO workers. My thesis won the UCF Outstanding Thesis Award for the College of Sciences.
I earned my B.A. in interdisciplinary cultural studies at the University of Alabama.
From 2010-2012, I served as an AmeriCorps volunteer, working with youth and socioeconomic inequalities in the Apopka community. During this time, I worked to organize community events and programs. I created and organized the Advancement Lab, a middle school tutoring center, as well as after-school and summer programs for minoritized populations.
My research interests include medical anthropology, mental health, public health, applied anthropology, social determinants of health, and health disparities. My work focuses on the United States and Italy.