As a researcher, I am dedicated to enhancing the quality and coordination of care for children with disabilities and complex health needs. My research is focused on family navigation and care coordination, healthcare systems research and models, social and community support for children with disabilities, research engagement among caregivers and people with intellectual developmental disabilities, and delivery of genetic information to families.

Before becoming a faculty member at Cincinnati Children’s, I was the director of operations, supporting over 30 Shared (Core) Facilities and a manager for two different Flow Cytometry Cores. Working in research operations has afforded me the unique experience to understand complex systems, facilitate change management, provide support for operations and understand business processes.

As a parent of children with disabilities, I recognize the critical need firsthand to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare processes for children with complex care and disabilities, their families and the healthcare providers committed to fostering a positive start in their most formative years—early childhood. I was the first to publish on caregiver perspectives about research engagement gaps in Down syndrome.

My research motto focuses on the notion: “When we solve problems that address the minority, we know we will have a system that can serve the majority.”