My research falls into two main categories: individual research on American religion and politics as they relate to the biological sciences, public policy, and reproductive technologies; and more public facing collaborative research on reproductive and genetic technologies with an emphasis on health equity. Much of this research has been informed by my studies in genetics and law, funded by a Mellon New Directions Fellowship, “Technologies of Life” (awarded 2019).   My individual research focuses on white Evangelical Christian positions on abortion, birth control, genetics, and assisted reproductive technologies and how these have been influenced by Catholic doctrine. My goal is to provide insight into these new religious configurations and explore how they are shaped by and shape scientific and medical possibilities and priorities.

New Edited Volume

My co-edited (with Emily Merchant) volume, DNA, Race, and Reproduction, brings together experts in law, medicine, religion, history, anthropology, philosophy, and genetics to investigate how scientists, medical professionals, and laypeople use genomic concepts to construct racial identity and make reproductive decisions.

Current Research Funding

I am the Principal Investigator for L&S Unites Grant ($119,132) entitled “Critical health studies: California as imperfect health refuge.”

This project leverages expertise from the humanities and social sciences to engage with the issues    California faces as a health refuge. The goal is to create institutional pipelines for interdisciplinary collaboration and facilitate the translation of research in critical health studies into better health outcomes through practice and policy.