People
Learn more about us!
Laura Miller-Graff, Ph.D. is a Professor of Psychology and Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame and the Director of the William J. Shaw Center for Children and Families. Her research focuses on the development, adaptation, and evaluation of brief psychological interventions for individuals exposed to chronic forms of violence and trauma.
Jessica (Jess) Carney, Ph.D. is a postdoctoral fellow in the BRAVE lab. Her research focuses on making mental health care more accessible, relevant, and effective for women and children who have experienced interpersonal violence.
Recent publications:
- Carney, J. R., Park, J., Maloney, C. A., Blacutt, M., Yataco Romero, L., & Miller-Graff, L. E. (2025). Effects of Peruvian mothers’ experiences of violence, resilience, and posttraumatic stress on infant temperament: A longitudinal path model. Development and Psychopathology. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0954579425000318
- Howell, K. H., Gilliam, H. C., Carney, J. R., Maloney, C. A., & Miller-Graff, L. E. (2025). Long-term effects of the Pregnant Moms’ Empowerment Program (PMEP) on intimate partner violence revictimization, maternal mental health, and child internalizing and externalizing problems. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 93(9), 642651. https://doi.org/10.1037/ccp0000976
Catherine Maloney is a sixth-year doctoral candidate in the BRAVE Lab, completing a degree in Clinical Psychology & Peace Studies. She is broadly interested in the intersection of implementation science and global mental health, including the development of community-led mental health programming for violence-exposed families. Catherine’s research also focuses on understanding how exposure to diverse forms of violence (e.g., direct, structural) influences youths’ psychosocial development.
Recent publications:
-
Maloney, C.A., Abel, W.D., McLeod, H.J. (2019). Jamaican adolescents’ receptiveness to digital mental health services: A cross-sectional survey from rural and urban communities. Internet Interventions, 21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.invent.2020.100325
Janie Park is a fifth-year doctoral candidate in the BRAVE Lab, pursuing a degree in Clinical Psychology. Her research examines how intimate partner violence shapes parenting, maternal mental health, and child development, with a particular focus on resilience processes that help families adapt in the face of adversity. She integrates qualitative and quantitative methods to better understand the interplay of risk and protective factors across ecological contexts. Ultimately, her goal is to inform the development and dissemination of effective, culturally responsive interventions that strengthen parenting confidence and promote healthy, resilient trajectories for children and families.
Miguel Blacutt is a fourth-year Clinical Science doctoral candidate in the BRAVE Lab, where he investigates the complex dynamics underlying suicide and non-suicidal self-injury. His research focuses on identifying real-time risk factors and understanding how these behaviors unfold at the momentary level in daily life. To capture these dynamics, Miguel uses intensive longitudinal sampling (e.g., ecological momentary assessment) and cutting-edge modeling techniques (e.g., continuous-time RDSEM). His goal is to improve our mechanistic understanding of self-injurious thoughts and behaviors, and leverage this insight to enhance real-time prediction. Miguel is co-advised by Dr. Laura Miller-Graff (BRAVE Lab Director) and Dr. Brooke Ammerman (ASSIST Lab Director; University of Wisconsin – Madison).
Abigail Arntz is a second-year graduate student in the BRAVE Lab. She is interested in identifying etiological factors that contribute to risk and resilience in women and children exposed to violence. She is also interested in the adaptation of interventions for individuals exposed to trauma and violence in cross-cultural settings Overall, she hopes to facilitate the development and implementation of interventions that mitigate the impact of violence exposure and promote resilience and flourishing amongst youth and families exposed to adversity.
Madeline Smethurst is a second-year graduate student in the BRAVE Lab studying Clinical Psychology. She is broadly interested in identifying factors across socioecological environments that underlie the transmission of violence and psychopathology in trauma-exposed families. She is particularly interested in employing longitudinal, multilevel methods to elucidate developmental cascades in parents and children during the perinatal period and early childhood. Ultimately, her research aims to inform precise interventions that are attuned to individual differences and maximize intervention effectiveness.
Becki Fulmer, M.A. is the Program Manager for the Pregnant Moms’ Empowerment Program/Empowerment Program #4mykids for the BRAVE Lab. She has been with the BRAVE lab for over 10 years. Previously she lived internationally, working jointly with the Corrymeela Community in Belfast, Northern Ireland and Dr. Robert Enright of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, managing the local International Forgiveness Institute’s Forgiveness Education in both schools and the community. She also has a background as a Child, Adolescent and Family Therapist.
Victoria Ward is the Lab Manager for the BRAVE lab and a pre-doctoral research associate with the Development and Psychopathology lab. She graduated from Loyola University Chicago in ‘23 with a B.S. in Psychology and minor in the Psychology of Crime and Justice. She is interested in the intersection between psychology and criminal justice, in particular, evaluating risk and resilience factors to better understand how to support violence-exposed families in the justice system. She plans on pursuing a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology.