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Lisa M. Brown, PhD, ABPP

Lisa M. Brown, PhD, ABPP

PhD, ABPP

Faculty Advisor

Director, Trauma Program

Director, Risk and Resilience Research Lab

Director, Peace and Human Rights Lab

Faculty Advisor, Association of Traumatic Stress Studies

Faculty Advisor, Psi Chi

Contact

Biography

Lisa M. Brown, PhD, ABPP is a tenured Professor, Director of the Trauma Program, Director of the Risk and Resilience Research Lab and the Peace and Human Rights Lab at Palo Alto University, and faculty advisor for the Association of Traumatic Stress Studies. Her clinical and research focus is on trauma and resilience, global mental health, aging, and vulnerable populations. As a researcher, she is actively involved in developing and evaluating mental health programs used nationally and internationally, crafting recommendations aimed at protecting individuals and communities during catastrophic events, facilitating the participation of key stakeholders, and improving access to resources and services.

During the past two decades, Dr. Brown has served on numerous state, national, and international boards, committees, and commissions. She served as the Assistant Clinical Director of Disaster Behavioral Health Services, Florida Department of Health, and has conducted program evaluations of the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) crisis counseling programs.

Dr. Brown has served on the Disaster Mental Health Subcommittee of the National Biodefense Science Board Federal Advisory Committee and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Coronavirus Commission on Safety and Quality. She was recently appointed to the National Advisory Committee on Seniors and Disasters, Health and Human Services (HHS).
Dr. Brown is a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America and American Psychological Association Division 20. She is the recipient of two Fulbright Specialist awards with the University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica (2014) and Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand (2015).

Education

  • PhD, Clinical Psychology, Pacific Graduate School of Psychology, Palo Alto University (2002)
  • MS, Clinical Psychology, Pacific Graduate School of Psychology, Palo Alto University (2002)
  • BS, Gerontology, City University of New York (1980)

Areas of Expertise

Trauma; stress; resilience; disasters; terrorism; violence; human rights; suicide; assessment; treatment; aging; vulnerable and underserved populations.

Publications

* Denotes Student or Postdoctoral Author

  • Louras*, P., Brown, L.M., Gomez, R., Warren, S.L., & Fairchild, J.K. (in press). BDNF Val66Met moderates the effects of hypertension on executive functioning in older adults diagnosed with aMCI. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.
  • Sheperis, D.S., Gomez, R., Wathen, C., Frank, M., & Brown, L.M. (in press). Addressing Isolation, Loneliness and Mental Health of Older Adults Living during COVID-19: A University Training Partnership with Senior Living Communities. Gerontology and Geriatrics Education.
  • Lind, L.M., Ward*, R.N., Rose*, S.G., & Brown, L.M. (in press). Psychological Service Provision in Long-Term Care Settings During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Results from a Rapid Response Survey. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice.
  • Ward*, R.N., Carlson*, K.J., Erickson*, A.J., Yalch, M.M., & Brown, L.M. (2021). Associations of humor, morale, and unit cohesion on posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms, Military Psychology, 1 – 10. https://doi.org/10.1080/08995605.2021.1996103
  • Wallick*, A., Ward*, R.N., Levendosky, A.A., Brown, L.M., & Yalch, M.M. (2021). Incremental influence of betrayal trauma and personality traits on PTSD symptoms. Journal of Trauma & Dissociation. https://doi.org/10.1080/15299732.2021.1989119
  • Resnick, B, Zimmerman, S. & COVID-19 Task Force members. (Brown, L.M. as task force member). (2021). COVID-19 Recommendations for Research from The Gerontological Society of America COVID-19 Task Force. The Gerontologist, 61(2):137-140. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnaa200
  • Goldblum, P., Thompkins, F., Lai, T., & Brown, L.M. (2021). African American faith communities and public health: Working at the intersections of COVID-19. Journal for Human Arenas: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Psychology, Culture, and Meaning, DOI: 10.1007/s42087-021-00197-z
  • Patel, S., Unanue*, I., Crittendon*, P., Kieschnik*, D., Froming, K., Froming, W. &. Brown, L.M. (2021). A qualitative approach to informing mental health programming in the Central African Republic. International Perspectives in Psychology: Research Practice, Consultation, 9(4), 212–229. DOI: 10.1037/ipp0000144
  • Unanue*, I., Patel, S., Tormala, T., Piazza Rodriguez*, A., Trott, C.D., Mendez Serrano, K. &. Brown, L.M. (2021). Seeing more clearly: Communities transforming towards justice in post-hurricane Puerto Rico. Community Psychology in Global Perspective, 6,2, 22-47. DOI: 10.1285/i24212113v6i2-2p22
  • Kok*, B., Wilk, J.E, Wickham, R.E., Bongar, B. &. Brown, L.M. (2020). Military occupation as a moderator between combat exposure and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms in U.S. Army personnel. Military Psychology, 32, 410-418,  DOI.org/10.1080/08995605.2020.1782625
  • Greenberg*, N., Wallick*, A., & Brown, L.M. (2020). Impact of Covid-19 pandemic restrictions on community-dwelling caregivers and persons with dementia. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 12(S1): S220-S221, DOI: 10.1037/tra0000793
  • Thompkins, F., Goldblum, P., Lai, T., Hansell*, T., Barclay, A., & Brown, L.M. (2020). A culturally specific mental health and spirituality approach for African Americans facing the COVID-19 pandemic. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 12(5), 455–456. https://DOI.org/10.1037/tra0000841
  • Macia*, K., Moschetto*, J., Wickham, R., Brown, L.M., & Waelde, L. (2020). Cumulative trauma and chronic homelessness among Veterans: The role of responses to intrusions and emotion regulation. Journal of Traumatic Stress. https://DOI.org/10.1002/jts.22569
  • Green, O., Gum, A., Greene, J., Ayalon, L., Chiriboga, D., & Brown, L.M. (2018). Should I've stayed or should I've gone? What residents of continuing care retirement communities and former candidates think and feel one year after their decision: A quantitative longitudinal comparison. Ageing and Society, 1-18. DOI:10.1017/S0144686X1800096X
  • Escher*, C., Gomez, R., Paulraj*, S., Ma*, F., Spies-Upton*, S., Cummings*, C., Brown, L.M., Tormala, T.T., and Goldblum, P. (2018). Relations of religion with depression and loneliness in older sexual and gender minority adults. Clinical Gerontologist, 42(2), 150-161. DOI: 10.1080/07317115.2018.1514341
  • Allen, J. Brown, L.M., Alpass, F., & Stevens, C. (2018) Longitudinal health and disaster impact in older New Zealand adults in the 2010-2011 Canterbury earthquake series. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 61(7), 701-718. DOI: 10.1080/01634372.2018.1494073
  • Haas, A.L., McKenna*, K.R., Morimoto*, E., Wickham, R.E. & Brown, L. M. (2018). Evaluating the effectiveness of a medical amnesty policy change on college students' alcohol consumption, physiological consequences, and helping behaviors. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 79(4), 523-531. DOI: 10.15288/jsad.2018.79.523
  • Gibson, A.K., Walsh*, J., & Brown, L.M. (2018). A perfect storm: Challenges encountered by family caregivers of persons with Alzheimer’s disease during natural disasters. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 61(7), 775-789. DOI: 10.1080/01634372.2018.1474158
  • Gibson, A.K., Walsh*, J., & Brown, L.M. (2017). Disaster mental health services review of care for older persons after disasters. Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness. doi.org/10.1017/dmp.2017.60
  • Barks*, L., Garvan, C., Crane, B., Peterson, M., Brown, L.M., & Powell-Cope, G. (in press). Reliability and criterion-related validity of the Seated Posture Scale. Rehabilitation Nursing Journal.
  • Kok*, B., Reed*, D. Wickham, R., & Brown, L.M. (2016). Adult ADHD symptomology in active duty Army personnel: Results from the Army Study to Assess Risk and Resilience in Servicemembers (STARRS). Journal of Attention Disorders. doi: 10.1177/1087054716673451
  • Walsh*, J., Gibson, A., & Brown, L.M. (2016). Peace of mind’s price tag: The psychological costs of financial stressors on older adults postdisaster. Translational Issues in Psychological Science, Vol 2(4), 408-417. doi.org/10.1037/tps0000089
  • Nicolay*, M., Brown, L.M., Johns, R., & Ialynytchev*, A. (2016). A study of heat related illness preparedness in homeless veterans. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 18, 72-74. doi: org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2016.05.009
  • Edwards, J., Lister, J., Lin, F., Andel, R., Brown, L.M., & Wood, J. M. (2015). Association of hearing impairment and subsequent driving mobility in older adults. The Gerontologist, 55(S2), 137-138. doi: 10.1093/geront/gnw009
  • Brown, L.M., Christensen, J.J., Ialynytchev*, A., Thomas, K.S., Frahm, K.A., & Hyer, K. (2015) Experiences of assisted living facility staff in evacuating and sheltering residents during hurricanes. Current Psychology, 34, 506–514. doi: 10.1007/s12144-015-9361-7
  • Ali, N., Luther, S.L., Volicer, L., Algase, D., Beattie, E., Brown, L.M., Molinari, V., Moore, H., & Joseph, I.  (2015). Risk Assessment of Wandering Behavior in Mild Dementia. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 31(4), 367-374. doi: 10.1002/gps.4336
  • Brown, L.M., Framingham, J.L., Frahm, K.A. & Dempsey*, L. (2015). Crisis counselors’ perceptions and assessment of suicidal behavior among hurricane survivors receiving crisis counseling services. Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness, 9(3), 291-300. doi: 10.1017/dmp.2015.41
  • Barks*, L., Luther, S. L., Brown, L.M., Schulz, B., Bowen, M.E., & Powell-Cope, G. (2015). Development and initial validation of the seated posture scale. Journal of Rehabilitation Research & Development, 52(2), 201-210. doi: 10.1682/JRRD.2014.04.0100
  • Brown, L.M., Barnett, S., Frahm, K.A., Schonfeld, L., Schinka, J. A., & Casey, R. (2014). Health risk factors and differences in outcomes between younger and older veterans using VA transitional housing. Psychiatric Services, 66(1), 33-40. doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.201400022
  • Brown, L.M., Haun, J., & Peterson*, L. (2014). A Proposed Disaster Literacy Model. Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness, 8(3), 267-275. doi: 10.1017/dmp.2014.43
  • Reid, W.M., Brown, L.M., & Landis, D.C. (2014). Leadership, collaboration, and effective training principles and practices from a decade of training by a Center for Public Health Preparedness. Journal of Emergency Management, 12(1):31-44. doi: 10.5055/jem.2014.0160
  • Crocker*, T., Powell-Cope, G., Brown, L.M., & Besterman-Dahn, K. (2014). Toward a Veteran-Centric View on Community (Re)Integration. Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development. doi: 10.1682/JRRD.2014.01.00111
  • Frahm, K.A., Gardner, P. J., Brown, L.M., Rogoff, D. P., & Troutman. (2014). A community-based disaster coalition training. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 20(5), S111–S117. doi: 10.1097/PHH.0000000000000058
  • Hites, L.S., Sass, M.M., D’Ambrosio, L., Brown, L.M., Wendelboe, A., Peters, K.E., & Sobelson, R.K. (2014). The Preparedness and Emergency Response Learning Centers: An innovative model to advance standardized evaluation of public health preparedness and response trainings. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice. doi: 10.1097/PHH.0000000000000066
  • McCabe, O. L., Everly, G.S., Brown, L.M., Wendelboe, A.M., Hamid, N.H., Tallchief, V.L., Links, J. (2014). Psychological first aid: A consensus-derived, empirically-supported, competency-based training model. American Journal of Public Health, 104(4), 621-628. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2013.301219

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