Her work is at the intersection of environment and biology (particularly physiological ecology) with emphasis on extreme environments. She has worked extensively with plants, animals and microbial communities, focusing on semi-arid to hyper-arid environments. For more than a decade, she has been working to understand the physiology and ecology of complex biocrusts in deserts and the bioactive compounds they produce. She is particularly interested in how environmental factors influence compound production and isomer ratios. Her teaching includes Global Challenges in Science, Technology and Health and Ecophysiology.

She has recently published a guide to the flora of Qatar (Akkadia Press). She served as guest editor for a Journal of Arid Environments special issue, Toxins in Desert Environments, and has published numerous peer-reviewed papers. She is co-chair of the Applied Ecology section and certified senior ecologist of the Ecological Society of America.