My primary research interest has been in the investigation of stress, coping, and psychosocial functioning in African American adolescents. I examine the effects of stressors in multiple contexts on depression and anxiety in urban, ethnic minority youth.  My research has also examined the role of modifiable protective factors, such as coping strategies and parent-child relationships, among youth in high-risk contexts.  My recent work focuses on exposure to community violence as a stressor for youth in urban communities.  I am interested in examining the variability in community violence exposure, understanding the longitudinal impact of violence exposure on subsequent adolescent functioning, identifying coping strategies that may be both adaptive for community violence exposure, and understanding the process of desensitization to community violence and how it may be linked to subsequent emotional and behavioral functioning. We are using findings of this research to advocate for strengths-based, trauma-responsive services and interventions for adolescents exposed to violence.  The goal of our community- and school-based research is to enhance the well-being of African American youth and families.