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Dr. Sniffen received her Baccalaureate degree in Physical Therapy from New York University in 1974 and began clinical practice in Queens General Hospital in Jamaica, New York. She quickly found herself in the pediatric outpatient department, serving children with cerebral palsy and a variety of special needs. After moving to Columbus, Ohio, she enrolled in Ohio State University, earning a Master of Science degree in Allied Health with emphasis on pediatrics and higher education. Returning to formal studies at Stony Brook University in 1995, she received a Master of Arts in Psychology in 2000 and a Doctorate of Philosophy in Biopsychology in 2002. Her doctoral work focused on the effect of external feedback on force learning, and the relation between neural activation and muscle force during voluntary grasp utilizing fMRI and EEG technologies.

Dr. Sniffen has over 25 years of academic experience in the Stony Brook University Physical Therapy Program where she has served in teaching and administrative capacities. She currently teaches the pediatrics and psychosocial content of the curriculum, and promotes the development of a professional identity of physical therapy students through active participation in the national organization representing the profession of physical therapy. Her current research interests focus on functional abilities in children, with a specific interest in the impact of late effects of treatment and disease on wellness and fitness in childhood survivors of cancer. She is a co-investigator and evaluation team leader of Play Fit-Stay Fit, a comprehensive wellness program for childhood survivors of cancer and their families. Made possible by a three-year Lance Armstrong Foundation Evolution Grant, Play Fit-Stay Fit is intended to serve as a model program that will be disseminated for implementation in other locales.