Denise joined PSR-LA in 2004 and serves as Associate Director. She directs PSR-LA’s Nuclear Threats program, which advocates for nuclear abolition and policies that prevent exposure to radioactive waste and contamination. Denise serves on the Steering Committee of Back from the Brink: Bringing Communities Together to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, a national grassroots campaign that works to build public and political will for nuclear abolition through local, community-based organizing. She also leads PSR-LA’s efforts to fully clean up the Santa Susana Field Laboratory (SSFL), a contaminated nuclear and rocket-engine testing site located just 30 miles from downtown Los Angeles

Denise’s passion for nuclear abolition began during her early days at PSR-LA, when she was moved by hibakusha (survivors of the Hiroshima-Nagasaki atomic bombings) who shared painful personal stories and their desire for no one else to suffer as they had. She is also inspired by community members who've been impacted by exposure to nuclear contaminants and fight for a full cleanup to prevent harm to others in their community. She is a member and has served on the board of the Alliance for Nuclear Accountability, a national network of organizations formed by communities in the shadow of nuclear weapons facilities. 

Denise earned her B.A. in Psychology from the University of Michigan and her M.A. in Theatre Arts and Dance from California State University, Los Angeles. She enjoys blending art and advocacy, and has led numerous arts and popular education projects for PSR-LA.