by Lisa Decker

 

Research affiliates and collaborators play a vital role and contribute to the success of the Institute’s research. Attracting researchers from across the globe, 45 field experts support our intention to conduct trauma research from a resilience framework that advances scientific knowledge to help individuals, families, communities, and systems. Becoming a research affiliate with the Lyda Hill Institute for Human Resilience is a great way to contribute to meaningful research in the field of human resilience, connect with scholars across other disciplines, and build collaborative relationships.

The Institute offers the following opportunities for researchers interested in collaborating on research and supporting the Institute’s mission:

1) Research Interest Groups 

• Social/Cognitive Research Processes in Trauma Resilience/Recovery
• Technological Innovations: Delivering Trauma Prevention/Interventions
• Clinical Research: Resilience Interventions, Prevention, and evidenced-Based Assessment
• Biomarkers: Neurobiology, Psychophysiology, and Neuropsychology Markers of Trauma Adaptation

2) Monthly Seminars featuring special topics on resilience

3) Targeted Grant Teams - submit grants through the Institute and receive ample support from conceptualization to identification of funding opportunities to pre and post-award support

4) Quarterly Research Affiliate Meetings with interdisciplinary researchers from across the globe

 

 

We are delighted to have welcomed many new researchers in 2021, some of whose profiles are featured below!

 

International Researchers

 

 

 

 

 

Grete Dyb, Ph.D.
Research Professor, University of Oslo, Norway
Research Interests: Mental reactions following traumatic events (children and youth), sexual abuse of children, post-traumatic stress in children and adolescents.
To learn more about Dr. Dyb: https://resilience.uccs.edu/staff/grete-dyb-phd

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mark Bosmans, Ph.D.
Senior Researcher, Department of Disasters and Environmental Hazards, Nivel-Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research
Research Interests: Impact of disasters and crises on mental health, wellbeing and psychosocial functioning, the role of coping and self-efficacy in recovery, and aftercare provided to victims of disasters and crises.
To learn more about Dr. Bosmans: https://resilience.uccs.edu/staff/mark-bosmans-phd

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peter G. van der Velden, Ph.D.
Senior Researcher, Centerdata, Tilburg, The Netherlands
Research Interests: Effects of stressful and potentially traumatic events such as violence, accidents, crisis, war, and disasters on mental health including PTSD, substance abuse and mental health services utilization on work; risk and protective factors such as coping-self efficacy, (lack of) social support and resilience, and ethical issues related to research such as the burden of trauma research.
To learn more about Dr. Bosmans: https://resilience.uccs.edu/staff/peter-g-van-der-velden-phd

 

 

Nationwide Researchers

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brandon Griffin, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Psychiatry, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Research Interests: Prevalence and outcomes of moral injury among military Veterans and first responders; health benefits associated with practicing forgiveness of oneself and others; suicide prevention among individuals and communities exposed to psychological trauma.
To learn more about Dr. Griffin: https://resilience.uccs.edu/staff/brandon-griffin-phd

 

 

 

 

 

 

Emily Dworkin, Ph.D.
Acting Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine
Research Interests: Recovery from sexual assault and other forms of trauma with a focus on (1) understanding the social, community, and sociocultural contexts that affect recovery outcomes and (2) translating mechanisms of evidence-based PTSD psychotherapies into highly disseminatable, prevention-oriented, and/or contextually focused interventions with the goal of reducing the need for standard psychotherapy among trauma survivors.
To learn more about Dr. Dworkin: https://resilience.uccs.edu/staff/emily-dworkin-phd

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lisa Taylor-Swanson, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, College of Nursing, University of Utah
Research Interests: Interoceptive awareness (IA), defined as how we perceive our body in two contexts: 1) the role of IA in symptom perception and evaluation and 2) as a mechanism of action of acupuncture. As a feminist clinician-scientist, Dr. Taylor-Swanson focuses these two lines of inquiry in the context of midlife women who take prescribed opioids for chronic pain.
To Learn More About Dr. Swanson: https://resilience.uccs.edu/staff/lisa-taylor-swanson-phd

 

 

 

 

 

 

Krystof Kaniasty, Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor, Department of Psychology, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Research Interests: Social support exchanges in the context of stressful and potentially traumatic life events at both community (e.g., disasters, acts of terrorism, political crises) and individual (e.g., criminal victimization, unemployment, illness) levels.
To learn more about Dr. Kaniasty: https://resilience.uccs.edu/staff/krystof-kaniasty-phd

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Erika Felix, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Counseling, Clinical, & School Psychology, University of California, Santa Barbara
Research Interests: Understanding the contextual factors that promote positive youth development or recovery despite contexts of risk, trauma, or stress through: (1) promoting adaptive recovery for youth following collectively experienced traumas, (2) youth victimization and its consequences, and (3) research and evaluation to improve community-based services.
To learn more about Dr. Felix: https://resilience.uccs.edu/staff/erika-felix-phd

 

 

 

 

 

 

Caroline Beidler, MSW
Consultant, Creative Consultation Services, LLC
Research Interests: Trauma resilience, stigma reduction, addiction recovery, sexual violence. I have an extensive background working in the addiction recovery field.
To learn more about Caroline Beidler: https://resilience.uccs.edu/staff/caroline-beidler-msw

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meghan Marsac, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, University of Kentucky
Research Interests: Medical trauma grant-focused studies to identify predictors of emotional and physical outcomes in the context of acute or chronic medical conditions, developing and validating assessment tools, and creating and evaluating programs to promote recovery and/or adjustment to medical conditions in children and families.
To learn more about Dr. Marsac: https://resilience.uccs.edu/staff/meghan-marsac-phd

 

 

 

 

 

 

David Pincus, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Psychology, Chapman University
Research Interests: Applying models and methods from complexity theory to improve the understanding of psychological resilience and psychotherapy process. My empirical studies have focused on identifying and understanding the function of fractal patterns that underlie interpersonal processes, personality, and behavior and application of similar methods to understand emotional dynamics, interpersonal conflict, self-esteem, coping dynamics, and the dynamics of embodied cognition to better understand the processes of psychological healing.
To learn more about Dr. Pincus: https://resilience.uccs.edu/staff/david-pincus-phd

 

 

University of Colorado Campuses Faculty Researchers

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steven Bistricky, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, UCCS
Research Interests: Increasing theoretical and empirical understanding of cognitive, emotional, and interpersonal factors that can reduce vulnerabilities, build strengths, and facilitate resilience and recovery amid significant adversity experiences. Personal preferences, contextual fit, and outcomes related to self-regulation processes (e.g., mindfulness, reappraisal, self-compassion, post-traumatic growth). Improving dissemination of evidence-based psychology in service of human flourishing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shannon Johnson, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Social Work, UCCS
Research Interests: Trauma and mental health; grief and spirituality; violent loss and traumatic bereavement; moral injury; childhood cancer and parental grief; intervention research; spiritually oriented interventions.
To learn more about Dr. Johnson: https://resilience.uccs.edu/staff/shannon-johnson-phd

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chelsea Kilimnik, Ph.D.
Assistant Research Professor, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder
Research Interests: Sexualized Violence and Trauma.
To learn more about Dr. Kilimnik: https://resilience.uccs.edu/staff/chelsea-kilimnik-phd

 

 

 

 

 

 

Colin T. Mahoney, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, UCCS
Research Interests: Identifying risk, maintenance, and protective factors for the symptoms and diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorders (SUDs) among women following exposure to interpersonal violence (i.e., sexual violence, intimate partner violence [IPV], community violence) and among men following exposure to combat trauma through (1) experimental, (2) prospective studies, and (3) qualitative studies.
To learn more about Dr. Mahoney: https://resilience.uccs.edu/staff/colin-t-mahoney-phd

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jane Rigler, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Visual and Performing Arts - Music, UCCS
Research Interests: Deep Listening© (DL) as an individual and communal act of healing and wellbeing.
To learn more about Dr. Rigler: https://resilience.uccs.edu/staff/jane-rigler-phd

 

To learn more about our Researchers, Affiliates, and Collaborators, visit https://resilience.uccs.edu/staff/research-affiliates-collaborators

To learn more about the Research Affiliate Program, visit https://resilience.uccs.edu/research/research-affiliate-program