My lifelong interest in perception led me to the study of Psychology both as an undergraduate at Florida State University, and as a graduate student at Brown University.  After gaining postdoctoral experience at the University of Michigan, I came to UNC as a faculty member, where I am a member of both the Behavioral Neuroscience and Cognitive Psychology programs, and serve as the Psychology Department’s Director of Graduate Studies.  I am also affiliated with the Curriculum in Neurobiology, and with the Department of Endodontics in the Dental School.  Several years ago I was honored to receive the Distinguished Teaching Award for Post-Baccalaureate Instruction for my efforts to help students achieve their potential as researchers and teachers.

The sense of touch is really a whole family of senses, including the ability to detect mechanical stimuli, like pressure and vibration; the ability to perceive warmth and cold; and pain. In the Somatosensory Research Lab, we take a comprehensive approach, experimentally examining these components of touch and the ways in which they work together. Our current research emphasizes perceptual and cognitive factors that influence pain in sickle cell disease, fibromyalgia, and other conditions; the placebo effect; perceptual illusions; and other topics.