Funded Research Projects

(researcher - Organization - Project)

Completed projects have a link to our blog. Don’t hesitate to visit again to follow the completion of supported projects.

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2026

• Danielle Arigo, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychology at Rowan University, More Than Menopause: Fostering Healthcare Relationships that Empower Women in Midlife

• Gretchen Buchanan, Ph.D., Researcher at Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute, Clinical Outcomes of an Intensive Mother-Baby Program for Perinatal Mental Illness

• Lisa A. Eaton, Ph.D., Professor at University of Connecticut, Addressing campus sexual violence: The role of family as a protective factor in preventing perpetration behavior

• Andrea Hussong, Ph.D., Director of Center for Develpment Science at University of North Carolina, Connection-Enhancing Emotions in Parent-Child Dyads Impacted by Addiction

• Erika Manczak, Ph.D., L.P., Associate Professor at University of Denver, Offspring distress as a threat to health: Adolescents’ depressive symptoms as predictors of parents’ chronic disease risk

• Andrea Meltzer, Ph.D., Associate Professor at Florida State University, Disrupted connection: A daily-diary study of technointerference, intimacy, and partner dynamics in long-term romantic relationships

• Angela Narayan, Ph.D., L.P. Associate Professor with Tenure at University of Denver, Positive Childhood Experiences as Protective Factors for Better Relationships, Parenting Practices, and Mental Health Across Three Generations

• Hans Oh, Ph.D., Assistant Professor at University of Southern California, Social Connectedness and Mental Health Help-seeking among Black and Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander Emerging Adults

• Carson Outler, Doctoral Candidate at Florida State University in Tallahasee, Impact of Caregiving Demands on Mental Health Outcomes for Sandwiched Caregivers and the Moderating Role of Support Networks

• Kristin Perry, Assistant Professor at University of Oregon, Supporting At-Risk Fathers: Examining Multilevel Forms of Social Support for Fathers With Substance Misuse Across the Transition to Parenthood

• Nicole B. Perry, Ph.D, Assistant Professor at University of Texas at Austin, Mapping Maternal–Child Relational Dynamics in Early Childhood: Developmental Change in Biobehavioral Synchrony and Links to Relationship Quality and Child Emotional Adaptation

• Mary Pritchard, Ph.D., Professor at Boise State University, M-Body: A Novel Intervention to Redefining Masculinity Through Positive Body Image

• Niyantri Riavindran, Ph.D., Assistant Professor at University of Georgia, Parent-Child Physiological Synchrony in Naturalistic Settings

• Ryan Watson., Ph.D., Associate Professor at University of Connecticut, Sexual and Gender Diverse Mental Health: The role of family relationships and school experiences

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2025

• Blake A. Colaianne, Ph.D., Assistant Research Professor at Pennsylvania State University - Mindful, together: Exploring relational impacts of a student-designed mindfulness and compassion curriculum for high school students

• Gabriel I. Cook, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychology at Claremont McKenna College - Shared Remembering in Romantic Relationships: A Mixed-Methods Diary Study of Intention Communication

• Chelsea Cortright, M.S., M. Ed., LPC, Ph.D. Student at Lehigh University - Lost and Found: A Mixed-Methods Examination of Identity in New Motherhood and Its Relation to the Developing Mother-Child Relationship

• Rebecca G. Etkin, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Associate at Yale School of Medicine - Impact of a systemic child anxiety intervention on family functioning and relationship quality

• Anita J. Fuglestad, Ph.D., Assistant Professor in psychology at University of North Florida , Paul T. Fuglestad, Ph.D., Associate Professor at University of North Florida - How do Daily Parenting Practices with Food and Screens Relate to Parent-Child Interactions and Emotional Development? An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study

• Chrystyna D. Kouros, Ph.D., Professor at Southern Methodist University, Naomi V. Ekas, PhD., Professor at Texas Christian University - Romantic Relationship Functioning and Mental Health in Autistic Adults

• Yunqi (Kay) He, Ph.D., Graduate Teaching Assistant at University of Minnesota, - Exploring Adolescents' Emotion Regulation in Mentoring: The Role of Mentors' Emotion Management Strategies and the Mentoring Process

• Stephanie Irby Coard, Ph.D., Professor, Human Development and Family Studies at University of North Carolina - Centering Youth Voices: Humanizing Mental Health Through Lived Experience Storytelling

• Melanie Lean, Psych D., Clinical Assistant Professor at Stanford University, Physiological Anxiety and Social Safety in Psychosis: The Potential for Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT)

• Lei, Man-Kit (Karlo), Ph.D., Associate Professor at University of Georgia - Neighborhood Stress and Mental Health: The Protective Role of Couple Relationship Functioning in Rural African American Communities

• Crystal Martin, PhD., Senior Equity Associate at NYU - Trust in Action: Strengthening Parent–Teen–School Relationships to Increase Adolescent Mental-Health Access

• Emily M. Melnick, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow University of Colorado, Maternal Prenatal Depression Reduction and Observed Parenting Sensitivity in Early Childhood

• Laura Miller Graff, Ph.D., Professor at University of Michigan, An Evidence-Based Family Support Program for Parents and Children in Palestine: A Theory-Based Intervention

• Cora E. Mukerji, Ph.D., Assistant Professor at Bryn Mawr College - Regulating together: cueing parents to reframe negative emotions for their children

• Assaf Oshri, Ph.D., Full Professor at The Georgia Center for Developmental Science at the University of Georgia - Coregulatory Synchrony and Resilience in Child-Parent Relationship

• Carson Outler, Ph.D. Student at Florida State University - Impact of Caregiving Demands on Mental Health Outcomes for Sandwiched Caregivers and the Moderating Role of Support Networks

• Nicholas S. Perry, Ph.D., Assistant Professor at the University of Denver - Understanding relationship process, stress, and well-being in the daily lives of newlywed couples

• Adi Rosenthal, Ph.D., Researcher at Institute for Relationship Science at the University of Denver - Parent-infant group therapy for interrupting intergenerational patterns of abuse: A randomized controlled trial of Resilient Roots

• Kay A. Simon, Ph.D., Assistant Professor at the University of Minnesota - Investigation of Gender-Affirming Behaviors as a Promotive Factor in Family Relationships and Mental Health among Transgender Young Adults

• Jeevanjot “JJ” Singh Kapur, Ph.D. student at University of Iowa - “What’s Your OUD Story?”: Exploring the Impact of a Digital Storytelling Group on Recovery, Self-Perception, and Healthcare Relationships

• Ann T. Skinner, PhD., Research Scientist at Duke University - Understanding how interpersonal relationships and social support during war promote resilience and recovery

• Allie Michelle Spiekerman, Ph. D. Student at University of Missouri-Columbia - Teenagers and texting: A multi-method examination of social support in adolescent friends' text messages and associations with adjustment

• Elina (Ruiqi) Sun, Ph.D. Student at Syracuse University - Perceived Partner Responsiveness as a Scaffold for Vulnerable Disclosures in Avoidantly Attached Relationships

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2024

• Sayed Jafar Ahmadi, Ph.D., Research Scholar in Psychology at Bard College- Developing an intervention to improve social interactions and relationships among Afghan adolescents

• Lydia HaRim Ahn, Ph.D., Assistant Professor in counseling and counseling psychology at Arizona State University- Asian American parent-child stressors and well-being: A daily diary examination

• Yaryna Andrushko, Ph.D., visiting Scholar from Ukraine at Pennsylvania State University - A Mixed-Method Investigation of Resilience Among Ukrainian Refugees

• Miriam Brinberg, Ph.D., Assistant Professor at The Ohio State University Foundation - The Parents and Teens Technology and Relationships (PATTER) Study

• Rebecca Brooker, Ph.D., Assistant Professor at Texas A&M University- Neural Pathways to Positive Family Development: Protective Effects of Estrogen on Mother-Infant Relationships

• Ateka Contractor, Ph.D., Associate Professor at University of North Texas Foundation, - Daily Impacts of Posttrauma Distress and Sleep on Family Functioning among Asian Indians in the Context of Intimate Partner Violence

• Sarah Gianna Curci, Ph.D., Postodoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Colorado - Exploring Maternal Grandmother Support in the Perinatal Period: Impacts on Postpartum Mental Health

• Allison Daminger, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison - What's So Funny? How Couples Use Humor to Navigate Gendered Inequalities

• Jason Folmsbee, Ph.D. student at Miami University, - The Effects of Political Difference on Parent-Child Relationships

• Thao Ha, Ph.D., Associate Professor of psychology at Arizona State University - Exploring Touch in Virtual Reality in Young Adult Romantic Relationships

• Martin Kivlighan, Ph.D., Professor in the Counseling Psychology program at the University of Iowa - Harnessing Natural Language Processing to Automate the Assessment of Evidence-Based Practices in Group Psychotherapy: A Novel Proof of Concept to Enhance Group Relationships

• Jenny Le, Ph.D. Candidate in the Social-Personality Psychology department at the University of Rochester. - Seeing Clearly or Seeing Through Tinted Glasses: How Accurate and Biased Perceptions of Emotions Influence Romantic Relationships

• Lilian Y Li, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Northwestern University - Neural Synchrony During Emotional Interactions as Predictive Markers of Interpersonal Risk and Resilience for Depression

• Jeannette Maré, Ph.D., Director of the Science of Kindness Community Collective at the University of Arizona. - State of Kindness: A Mixed-Methods Reasoned Action Approach to Understanding Prosocial Communication in a Substance Use Recovery Center for Women

• Laura Miller - Graff, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Psychology and Peace Studies at University of Notre Dame - Piloting the Common Element Treatments Approach with Mothers in Lima, Peru

• Melinda Murdock, MS, LMFT, PhD Candidate at University of Kentucky - An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis on Black Couples’ who Experience Racism-Related Stress

• Galena Rhoades, Ph.D., Executive Director, Thriving Families, Research Professor at University of Denver, - MotherWise in Nicaragua: The Impact of Culturally-Adapted Relationship Education for Women During Pregnancy and Postpartum

• Hannah Schacter, Ph.D., Assistant Professor in the Wayne State Department of Psychology (developmental science area) and an adjunct assistant professor in the Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute for child and family development - Enhancing Adolescent Friendships through Digital Education

• Suma Katharine, Ph.D. Candidate PhD Human Development and Family Science at the University of Georgia, Capturing Cultural Socialization Practices of Black American Mothers: Active Direction and Socioeconomic Variability

• Barbara White. Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of Clinical Practice and Research at Palo Alto University - Efficacy study of "Relationship Tune Up", a self guided online course to improve the quality of long-term intimate couple relationships without

• Yuxi Xie, Graduate Research Assistant at Carnegie Mellon University - Cyclical Processes Linking Couple Conflicts to Sleep Quality

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  2023

• Olivia Altamirano, Ph.D., Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine - Culturally Informed Therapy (CIT) for families in an early psychosis clinic

• Stephanie Budge, Ph.D., Professor in the Department of Counseling Psychology and Director of the Advancing Health Equity and Diversity program in the Collaborative Center for Health Equity at the University of Wisconsin-Madison - Incorporating Radical Healing and Addressing Internalized Transnegativity in Psychotherapy for Two Spirit, Transgender, and Nonbinary People of Color: An Open Clinical Trial

• Diana Doumas, Ph.D., Professor of Counselor Education and Director for the Institute for the Study of Addiction at Boise State University - Implementation Strategies to Enhance Uptake of a Bullying Bystander Intervention

• Leslie Frazier, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychology at Florida International University - The role of self and others in the internalization of disability identity: Toward a model of well-being and resilience

• Laura Glynn, Ph.D., Professor in the Psychology Department at Chapman University - Parental predictability as a protective social factor for children’s stress physiology and mental health

• Elysia Poggi Davis, Ph.D., Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Denver - Early life caregiving and health: Testing the impact of parenting across two generations

• Adam A. Rogers, Ph.D., Assistant Professor in the School of Family Life at Brigham Young University - Advancing the Development of Emotional Proficiencies in Teens (ADEPT)

• William Tsai, Ph.D., Associate Professor at New York University- Emotion Regulation and Psychological Well-being among Cancer Caregiver-Patient Dyads

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  2022

• Özlü Aran, Developmental Psychology Ph.D. student at the University of Denver - The relation between prenatal stress and infant negative emotionality: Buffering effects of maternal predictability

• Allen Barton, Ph.D., Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at the University of Illinois - Promoting healthy and supportive couple relationships through sustainable, evidence-based program delivery

• Bridget Callaghan, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of California Los Angeles - Does positive parenting improve emotion regulation in at-risk youth across the transition to adolescence?

• Cathleen Cox, Ph.D., Assistant Professor at the Texas Christian University- Existential isolation and well-being among persons in residential treatment facilities

• Julian Cohen-Serrins, Ph.D. candidate, Graduate Research Assistant, at the New York University Silver School of Social Work - The Impact of Organizational Justice and Support on Burnout among Healthcare Workers: A Mixed-Methods Study

• Leslie Frazier, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychology at Florida International University- Possible selves in midlife women: Toward a more diverse understanding of social and contextual factors related risk for disorder eating

• Ilana Haliwa , Ph.D., Assistant Professor at Salve Regina University, - The effects of a brief interconnectedness meditation on perceived social support, emotional reactivity, and mental health

• Audrey Harkness, Ph.D., Psychologist and Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing and Health Studies at the University of Miami - Culturally adapting individually-oriented relationship education for Latino sexual minority men

• Chrystyna Kouros , Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychology at Southern Methodist University, Dimensions of couples' relationship functioning that predict mental health

• Yunying Le, Ph.D., Research Assistant Professor at the University of Denver, Preventing postpartum depression via an online, self-study approach for couples at elevated risk: Adapting an evidence-based, universal prevention program

• Brian TaeHyuk Keum, Ph.D., Buehler Sesquicentennial Assistant Professor of Counseling Psychology in the Department of Counseling, Developmental, and Educational Psychology at the Boston College- The STOREY (STOrying Racism to Empower Youth) intervention: Testing a digital storytelling intervention to promote anti-racism advocacy against anti-Black racism

• Danielle Weber, M.A., Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Georgia - Depression and relationship quality among older adult couples: A longitudinal, multimethod investigation

• Lindsey Weiler, Ph.D., Associate Professor in the Department of Family Social Science at the University of Minnesota - Improving Human Relationships through Youth Mentors' Use of Emotion Coaching

• Virgil Zeigler-Hill, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor at Oakland University - Narcissism and Romantic Relationship Functioning: The Mediating Roles of Coercive and Collaborative Theories of Power

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  2021

• Pankhuri Aggarwal, Ph.D candidate at Miami University - Interpersonal Relations And Psychological Functioning Among Young Adults In India

• Samantha Brown, Ph.D., Adjunct Assistant Professor at Colorado State University - Nurturing Connections: A Postpartum Intervention to Improve Mother-Infant Functioning and Interactions

• Kathryn Rebecca Fox, Ph.D., Assistant Professor in the clinical child psychology at the University of Denver, Helping Parents Navigate Child Suicide Risk

• Kate Hardy, Clin.Psych.D, Clinical Associate Professor at Stanford University School of Medicine - Integrating Psychosis Recovery by Enabling Adult Carers at Home (Psychosis REACH) in an early psychosis clinic

• Nathan Hardy, Ph.D., LMFT, Associate Professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Science at Oklahoma State University - Couples in Conflict: Bridging the Systemic Divide

• Stanley Huey, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology at the University of Southern California - Training Youth with Disruptive Behaviors as School-Based Peer Coaches

• Laura Jobson, Ph.D., Associate Professor at Monash University - Exploring cultural differences in social support and quality of social networks following adverse life events

• James Muruthi, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Family and Human Services at the University of Oregon - Chronic Socioeconomic Stress, Psychological Distress and Informal Support among Aging Kenyans

• Lauren M. Papp, Ph.D., Professor of Human Development and Family Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Establishing the Contributions of Romantic Partners to Older Individuals’ Prescription Opioid Misuse

• Sree Sinha, Doctoral Candidate at the University of Denver, - Queer Interethnic Relationships: Couple Minority Stress and Resilience for Intersectionally Marginalized Couples

• Jeff Stone, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology at the University of Arizona - Our NIH funded research investigates how physicians communicate implicit bias when they interact with Hispanic patients during a clinical visit

• Hannah Volpert-Esmond, Ph.D., Assistant Professor at the University of Texas at El Paso - How do supportive family relationships contribute to stress regulation in response to racial/ethnic discrimination among Hispanics?

• Bruce E. Wampold, PhD, ABPP, Emeritus Professor of Counseling Psychology at the University of Wisconsin, Madison - Becoming a More Effective Therapist: Deliberate Practice v Best Practice Supervision v Supervision as Usual

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  2020

• Carissa D’Aniello, Ph.D., Assistant Professor from Texas Tech University, Rachel Tambling, Ph.D., LMFT, Professor of Human Development and Family Sciences, and Beth Russell, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Sciences from the University of Connecticut  - A Pilot Study of PRISM Mindfulness Based Family Groups for Parents of Young Adults with Substance Use Disorders

• Brian Cole, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Counseling Psychology at the University of Kansas - Hope Through Strengths

• Kirby Deater-Deckard, Ph.D., Professor of Psychological & Brain Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst - Quantifying cohesion in the parent-child relationship in a complex family system

• Matthew A. Diemer, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology and Professor of Education at the University of Michigan, - Dyadic analyses of relational processes among Mozambique couples.

• Jenalee Doom, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Developmental Psychology at the University of Denver's Department of Psychology and Stress, Early Experiences, and Development (SEED) Research Center- Testing a Brief Social Belonging Intervention to Improve Social Relationships and Well-being during the COVID-19 Pandemic

• Jenalee Doom, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Developmental Psychology at the University of Denver's Department of Psychology and Stress, Early Experiences, and Development (SEED) Research Center - When Parents Become Ineffective Social Buffers, Do Siblings Step In?

• Greg M. Fosco, Ph.D., Associate Director of the Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center and Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Studies at The Pennsylvania State University - Feasibility and Evaluation of Brief, Mobile-Based Family Strengthening Interventions

• Sharon Navarro, Executive Director Acknowledge Alliance, - Project Resilience

• Aida Midgett, Ph.D., Professor and Chair of the Department of Counselor Education at Boise State University - Development, Usability Testing, and Short-Term Outcomes of Brief, Bullying Bystander Intervention (STAC) Teacher Module

• Laura Miller-Graff, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Psychology and Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame - Identifying the impact of prenatal intervention the pandemic-related stress on mother-infant relational quality in families experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV)

• Michele Parker, Ph.D., LMFT, CCMA, Assistant Professor Marriage and Family Therapy Program and Michael Killian, Ph.D., Associate Professor at the Florida State University - Family Therapy and Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Telehealth Response

• Brett Peters, Ph.D., Associate Professor in the Psychology department at Ohio University- Examining the prospective associations between COVID-19 stressors, intimate partner violence , and health behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic

• Ashley K. Randall, Ph.D., Professor in the School of Counseling and Counseling Psychology at the Arizona State University - CCET-SMS Program: Towards the Development of a Couple’s Coping Program for Same-Gender Couples

• Harry Reis, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology at the University of Rochester,- Couples' Coping with the Emotional Effects of Coronavirus

• Galena Rhoades, Ph.D., Research Professor in the Psychology Department at the University of Denver and Executive Director of Thriving Families- MotherWise Virtual: Relationship Education for Pregnant and Postpartum Women during COVID