“After earning my doctorate, I spent almost a decade working in the Missouri Department of Health, an experience that revealed the lack of evidence-based approaches available to people who were working in
the field. At that point, evidence-based public health became my passion.

“Our Prevention Research Center is undertaking some innovative work. We’re leading a cross-national partnership for physical activity research linking Brazil and the United States. Closer to home, we are working with partners in 12 rural communities in southeast Missouri to implement interventions to improve physical activity and healthy eating.”