My doctorate degree (Ph.D.) is a dual degree in Developmental Psychology and Clinical Psychology. My research primarily focuses on at-risk populations (children and adults) with an emphasis on developmental psychopathology, as it relates to disturba
...MoreMy doctorate degree (Ph.D.) is a dual degree in Developmental Psychology and Clinical Psychology. My research primarily focuses on at-risk populations (children and adults) with an emphasis on developmental psychopathology, as it relates to disturbances in physiological functioning and wellness behavior later in life. My publications have reported effects of in-utero exposure to substances (e.g., anti-depressant medication; alcohol) on motor dysfunction and sleep organization. I also published a meta-analysis that examined the effectiveness/problems associated with treating overweight/obese children and adolescents using behavioral, cognitive, and parental techniques. As an academic in Hawaii, I have extended my research to focus on Native Hawaiian individuals, who are considered an at-risk population and are poorly studied, with regard to psychological and health-risk research. My focus is bring awareness of the unique, under-studied, and bidirectional cultural and ethnic factors related to the link between sleep disorders and health diseases (e.g., diabetes, cardiovascular) that often begin in childhood, for example with the increased rate of obesity, through systematic research. Ultimately, I would like to extend my work to include epigenetic models, in a similar fashion that I used to develop a treatment for children with sleep problems diagnosed with autism for my dissertation.
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Health, Wellness, and Society
