My research interests are in how environmental, social, genetic, and biological factors interact to influence individual differences in socioemotional and behavioral development in children and adolescents. My work is greatly influenced by the Bioecological Model developed by Dr. Urie Bronfenbrenner, whom I was privileged to work with after college. This model has guided my research examining influences on youth socioemotional and problem behaviors at multiple levels of analysis, including neighborhood, school, peer, family, and individual psychosocial, biological, and genetic factors.
My primary expertise is youth socioemotional development, substance use, and behavior problems. Through a combination of collaborative and independent studies I have begun to identify the underlying pathways through which social and environmental experiences “get under the skin” to affect behavior, which in turn can help us to better understand the nature of socioeconomic and racial/ethnic disparities in health and health-related behaviors. As a behavioral scientist, I aim to bridge the gap between biological and social sciences. My research program is unique in that it is highly interdisciplinary, spanning fields of developmental psychology and psychiatry, behavioral genetics, sociology, anthrozoology, neuroscience, and endocrinology.
A behavioral geneticist by training, in the past decade, my work has moved away from studies of latent genetic and environmental influences to focus on the impact of measured environmental and social factors on brain, biology, and behavior. Most recently, I completed a pilot study examining the impact of exposure to community violence on the neural underpinnings of emotional and cognitive processes using fMRI in a sample of 9-11 year old children, and am currently starting a clinical trial testing the effects of a structured, goal-oriented, dog-training program on self-esteem, impulse control, and emotion regulation in two samples of youth with behavioral and emotional problems.
I am deeply committed to research education and mentorship. I have supervised several postdoctoral trainees, masters students, and undergraduate students. In our department, I teach basic statistical literacy and lead methodological journal clubs for adult psychiatry residents and child psychiatry fellows. I also direct the research program for psychiatry residents and fellows and help our clinical faculty develop and test research questions.
Virginia Commonwealth University
Postdoctoral Scholar - Virginia Institute for Psychiatric & Behavioral Genetics
2000
Pennsylvania State University
Ph.D. - Human Development & Family Studies
1999
Pennsylvania State University
M.S. - Human Development & Family Studies
1994
Cornell University
A.B. - Psychology & English
1990
Identifying psychiatrist characteristics associated with likelihood of recommending involuntary hospitalization for patients using a novel tool to assess decision-making.
Identifying psychiatrist characteristics associated with likelihood of recommending involuntary hospitalization for patients using a novel tool to assess decision-making. PLOS Ment Health. 2026; 3(4):e0000598.
PMID: 42008571
Residential Greenspace and Youth Antisocial Behavior and Depressed Mood.
Residential Greenspace and Youth Antisocial Behavior and Depressed Mood. J Environ Psychol. 2026 May; 111.
PMID: 42164714
Evaluating a case-based lecture to educate internal medicine interns about depression and suicide risk assessment.
Evaluating a case-based lecture to educate internal medicine interns about depression and suicide risk assessment. BMC Med Educ. 2025 Oct 31; 25(1):1531.
PMID: 41174706
COVID-19, a natural experiment. Did it create an opportunity to reduce racial disparities in psychosocial oncology and change how we deliver care?
COVID-19, a natural experiment. Did it create an opportunity to reduce racial disparities in psychosocial oncology and change how we deliver care? J Psychosoc Oncol. 2025; 43(5):704-716.
PMID: 39912525
A Longitudinal Analysis of Gene x Environment Interaction on Verbal Intelligence Across Adolescence and Early Adulthood.
A Longitudinal Analysis of Gene x Environment Interaction on Verbal Intelligence Across Adolescence and Early Adulthood. Behav Genet. 2023 07; 53(4):311-330.
PMID: 37171531
The Differential Impact of Parenting on Adolescent Externalizing Behaviors in the Context of Maternal Stress.
The Differential Impact of Parenting on Adolescent Externalizing Behaviors in the Context of Maternal Stress. J Youth Adolesc. 2023 Jul; 52(7):1459-1470.
PMID: 36807232
A Secondary Traumatic Stress Reduction Program in Emergency Room Nurses.
A Secondary Traumatic Stress Reduction Program in Emergency Room Nurses. SAGE Open Nurs. 2022 Jan-Dec; 8:23779608221094530.
PMID: 35574270
Legal settlements and the reporting of adverse drug events: Insights from the aripiprazole products liability litigation.
Legal settlements and the reporting of adverse drug events: Insights from the aripiprazole products liability litigation. Psychiatry Res. 2022 03; 309:114411.
PMID: 35085881
A Cross-Species Examination of Pro-White Color Bias Using a Novel Implicit Association Test.
A Cross-Species Examination of Pro-White Color Bias Using a Novel Implicit Association Test. Anthrozoos. 2022; 35(3):423-441.
PMID: 42080126
Race, health, and socioeconomic disparities associated with malingering in psychiatric patients at an urban emergency department.
Race, health, and socioeconomic disparities associated with malingering in psychiatric patients at an urban emergency department. Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 2021 Jul-Aug; 71:121-127.
PMID: 34147918
President
International Society for Anthrozoology
2019 - 2021
Resident/Fellow Instructor of the Year
Psychiatry, University of Chicago
2018 - 2020
Chen & Jacobson (2012, J of Adolescent Health); Highly cited paper in Clinical Medicine (top 1%)
Clarivate Web of Science
2012
NIH Director's New Innovator Award
NIH
2007 - 2012
Student Loan Repayment Program
NIH
2003 - 2006
BIRCWH Fellow
NIH K12 Award
2001 - 2003
cum laude in psychology
Cornell University
1990
Cornell Tradition Fellow
Cornell University
1986 - 1990