A widely published journalist and consultant, I am committed to increasing public understanding about serious mental health conditions.

I am engaged in a multi-project initiative to study and change public attitudes, in collaboration with the FrameWorks Institute, NAMI-Massachusetts (Massachusetts chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness), the Massachusetts Association for Mental Health, the 99 Faces Project, and others.

My writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, Psychology Today, and a broad range of print and electronic media, covering key research and controversies in health, parenting, genetic engineering, and public understanding of science.

My local, national, and international consulting clients include the World Health Organization, the United Nations, the National Science Foundation, Harvard, CBS, and WGBH, and I have given presentations to universities, corporations, and NGOs in the US and abroad. My work is frequently quoted in national and international media, and I have been named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science for my contributions to public understanding of science.

After receiving a PhD in communication research from Stanford University, I pursued post-graduate training in clinical psychology, family systems, and child and adult development. I founded MIT’s first science writing program, as well as the National Parenting Education Network, and served as a special consultant to the Harvard Center for Health Communication. Committed to working directly with families, I developed MIT’s Work-Life Center, offering consultations on topics including parenting, mental health resources, and special needs in the family.

I am a board member for the Cambridge/Middlesex chapter of the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI-Cambridge), where I contribute to support groups, educational programs, and advocacy projects, based on my professional work and personal experience as a family member.