I am a Senior Research Associate in the Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise at the Center for Transformative Research on Health Behaviors at the Fralin Biomedical Research Center at Virginia Tech. As a neuroscientist, dancer, and yoga instructor, I am fascinated by the brain's capacity for plasticity and the body's ability to shape the brain. My research focuses on understanding the embodied brain; that is, how physical activity and mindfulness practices such as exercise, dance, yoga, and meditation affect the brain functionally, physiologically, and morphologically. The long-term goal of this work to identify the mechanisms through which these mind-body practices optimize brain health and wellness.

 

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