RESEARCH & EDUCATION
Building the Evidence, Education, and Tools Behind Better Women's Health.
I am a Professor in the Department of Health Professions at Metropolitan State University of Denver and a physician-educator in obstetrics and gynecology and lifestyle medicine. My academic work connects women’s health, lifestyle medicine, behavior change, curriculum design, and implementation.
Academic Strip
- Professor, Metropolitan State University of Denver
- University faculty since 2011
- Curriculum and competency leadership
- Research and implementation
- Student and clinician mentorship
Current Work and Projects
Current
Professor at Metropolitan State University of Denver
Professor in the Department of Health Professions at Metropolitan State University of Denver, where I created and lead the Lifestyle Medicine curriculum within the Public Health Program
ROLE / WHY IT MATTERS: Teaching, curriculum development, and student mentorship—translating evidence and behavior-change science into practical education that prepares future professionals to improve health across diverse communities.
Current
Women's Health Lifestyle Medicine Competencies
An international, multidisciplinary effort to define what lifestyle medicine clinicians should know and be able to do across women’s health.
ROLE / WHY IT MATTERS: Chair, International Lifestyle Medicine Women’s Health Competencies Committee. Creates a shared foundation for education and assessment.
Current
Paving the Path to Wellness: Board Member
A nonprofit organization working to make evidence-based lifestyle medicine education and practical wellness tools accessible to more people.
ROLE / WHY IT MATTERS: Board member and co-founder. Helps advance accessible education and resources that support people in taking meaningful, sustainable steps toward better health.
Published
Published Research - Lifestyle Medicine Health Behavior Scale and Cardiovascular Outcomes
Measurement research operationalizing lifestyle behaviors and examining their association with cardiovascular outcomes.
ROLE / WHY IT MATTERS: Coauthor. Use association language; do not imply causation.
Published
Published Research - Group-based Lifestyle Medicine and Shared Medical Appointments
Implementation research examining feasibility, practitioner roles, training, billing, recruitment, delivery, and sustainable group-care infrastructure.
ROLE / WHY IT MATTERS: Coauthor/collaborator. Good care requires systems, not advice alone.
Published
Published Education Research - Shared Medical Appointment Simulations
Simulation-based education designed to help learners practice lifestyle medicine competencies in a scalable, case-based format.
ROLE / WHY IT MATTERS: Co-investigator and coauthor. Clinicians need practice, not only information.
Current and Former Role Wording
| Year/Type | Public Wording | Status |
|---|---|---|
| MSU Denver | Professor, Department of Health Professions, Metropolitan State University of Denver. | Current |
| IBLM | Chair/Lead, Lifestyle Medicine and Women's Health Competencies Committee. | Current |
| ACLM | Lead Faculty, Women's Health Lifestyle Medicine Curriculum. | Current |
| Blue Zones / ACLM | Lead Faculty and Curriculum Creator, Blue Zones ACLM Physician and Clinician Certification. | Current |
| PAVING | Executive Board Officer/Secretary, PAVING the Path to Wellness nonprofit. | Current |
| ACLM Board | Board of Directors and Executive Board service, 2019-2025. | Former |
Teaching, Curriculum, and Mentorship at Msu Denver
At Metropolitan State University of Denver, I teach and build applied, competency-based education across lifestyle medicine, women’s health, behavior change, sleep, stress, public health, and related health professions. I mentor students through internships, research, scholarly projects, and curriculum evaluation.
University Teaching and Academic Focus
Professor in the Department of Health Professions; university teaching since 2011, with emphasis on lifestyle medicine, women’s health, behavior change, sleep, stress, and public health.
Curriculum Development
Student Advising
Healthcare Leaders Student Organization Faculty Advisor
Selected Peer-Reviewed Scholarship
Group six to eight featured papers under four themes rather than using an undifferentiated chronological bibliography. For every item, verify the exact title, journal, year, publication status, and DOI or PubMed link; add one plain-language sentence explaining why it matters.
| Year / Type | Engagement | Why It Matters | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 - Perimenopause and Lifestyle Medicine: A Window of Opportunity | Women's health, menopause, and healthy aging | Frames perimenopause as a window for symptoms, long-term health, and evidence-informed support. | DOI |
| 2024 - Lifestyle Medicine and Vasomotor Symptoms: An Analytic Review | Women's health, menopause, and healthy aging | Reviews evidence and uncertainty across lifestyle domains and vasomotor symptoms. | DOI |
| 2026 - The Lifestyle Medicine Health Behavior Scale and Cardiovascular Disease: A Prospective Cohort Study From the UK Biobank | Lifestyle medicine measurement and health outcomes | Operationalizes the lifestyle medicine pillars in a tested measure. | DOI |
| 2026 - Assessing Preliminary Implementation Outcomes of a Lifestyle Medicine Intervention | Group care, shared medical appointments, and implementation | Examines training, billing, recruitment, delivery, and other implementation factors. | DOI |
| 2025 - Implementing Group-Based Lifestyle Medicine: The Role of the Healthcare Practitioner in Feasibility and Effectiveness | Group care, shared medical appointments, and implementation | Shows why practitioner preparation and delivery infrastructure matter. | DOI |
| 2026 - A Novel Curricular Approach to Lifestyle Medicine Education Through Shared Medical Appointment Simulations | Curriculum, competencies, and simulation-based education | Demonstrates a scalable, case-based approach to competency development. | DOI |
TEXTBOOK AND EDITORIAL LEADERSHIP
Improving Women's Health Across the Lifespan
Give Improving Women’s Health Across the Lifespan a visible academic section. Research & Education explains the project and editorial leadership; Books & Resources provides the usable book card.
Professional Societies
American College of Lifestyle Medicine
Fellow of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. Board Certified in Lifestyle Medicine. Served 2 terms on the Executive Board. Co-founded the Women’s Health Member Interest Group
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
Menopause Society
Peer Review and Academic Service
Evidence-to-use Bridge
Looking for practical education based on this work? Browse books, recordings, articles, and tools.
COLLABORATION
Collaborate on Research, Education, and Better Care Pathways.
I welcome inquiries about research collaboration, curriculum partnerships, competency development, guest teaching, clinician education, implementation, and student or faculty projects that align with evidence-based women’s health and lifestyle medicine.