I received my Ph.D. in Anatomy & Molecular Biology in 1987 from the University of South Alabama College of Medicine, then completed 2 post-doctoral fellowships before accepting a faculty position at EKU in 1991. At Vanderbilt University where I accepted my first post-doctoral fellowship, I investigated the interactions of aflatoxins (potent naturally occurring carcinogens) with DNA. My next fellowship was at Emory University where I studied the effects of oxidative DNA damage and repair in neuronal tissue. My primary research interests are the study of DNA damage from environmental agents and modification of DNA during embryological development and aging.  I am a member of the American Chemical Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Society for Developmental Biologists, Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Kentucky Academy of Science, and the Association of Southeastern Biologists.