I originally pursued zoology as a career, with particular interest in herpetology (the scientific study of reptiles and amphibians) in Mexico and Africa. This gave way to more serious applications in quantitative research. I received degrees in biology (B.S. in 1974) and statistics (M.S. in 1976) from the California State University in Hayward. Before receiving my Ph.D., I served as a medical statistician at Stanford University for two major community intervention projects (Stanford Three-City and Five-City Projects) under Jack Farquhar. My involvement in the Lipid Research Clinic Primary Prevention Trial (the first large-scale clinical trial to demonstrate that lowering cholesterol reduces heart disease risk) led to my opportunity to study genetic epidemiology under Dr. Samuel Karlin in the Department of Mathematics at Stanford University. My Ph.D. in Biostatistics was awarded in 1986.

While at Stanford I worked closely with Drs. Peter Wood and Bill Haskell in their research on physical activity. These included three randomized controlled clinical trials that used exercise and diet to improve cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and weight. I had the opportunity to work with Drs. Steven Blair, Paul Thompson,