Colleen’s research efforts are focused now on narrative inquiry of Appalachia as she chronicles her own return to the mountains and her roots in this setting and culture.  Her doctoral work was focused upon the historical developments of the institution of medicine and medical education through the theoretical framework of postcolonialism.  Her interests are primarily qualitative in nature and she hopes at some point in the future to work on an ethnography of healthcare providers and settings in Appalachia.  She continues to practice as a physician assistant in rural Emergency department settings.