Leah received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Missouri; completed her clinical internship at the Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center; and completed postdoctoral training at Duke University, supported by a fellowship from the NICHD through the Carolina Consortium on Human Development.
Leah's research focuses on emotional and behavioral dysregulation across the life course. Through her work, she aims to build knowledge about the origins, mechanisms, and outcomes of self-regulation difficulties, including disinhibitory disorders (substance use disorders and antisocial behavior), suicide, and self-harm. She also has an emerging line of work on the consequences of self-regulation difficulties for physical health and the aging process. She uses genetically-informative, longitudinal, and nationwide administrative-register study designs in her research.