Sarah Lowe, PhD
Associate Professor of Public Health (Social and Behavioral Sciences), Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Associate Clinical Professor of NursingDownloadHi-Res Photo
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Affiliated Faculty, Yale Institute for Global Health
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Appointments
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Affiliated Faculty, Yale Institute for Global Health
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Appointments
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Affiliated Faculty, Yale Institute for Global Health
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Associate Professor of Public Health (Social and Behavioral Sciences), Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Associate Clinical Professor of Nursing
Affiliated Faculty, Yale Institute for Global Health
Biography
Sarah Lowe, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist and Associate Professor in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Yale School of Public Health, with secondary appointments in the Department of Psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine and Yale School of Nursing. Her research focuses on the long-term mental health consequences of a range of potentially traumatic events, as well as the impact of such events on other domains of functioning, such as physical health, social relationships, and economic wellbeing. Her work explores the mechanisms leading from trauma exposure to symptoms, and the role of factors at various ecological levels – from genetics to neighborhoods – in shaping risk and resilience. She uses a range of methodologies to achieve her research aims, including structural equation modeling, latent growth curve analysis, geospatial modeling, and qualitative analysis, among others. Dr. Lowe received her Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts Boston and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Psychiatric Epidemiology Training program at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.
Last Updated on April 07, 2025.
Appointments
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Associate Professor on TermPrimaryPsychiatry
Associate Professor on TermSecondaryPsychiatry
Associate Professor on TermSecondarySchool of Nursing
Associate Professor on TermSecondary
Other Departments & Organizations
Education & Training
- Postdoctoral fellow
- Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health (2014)
- Predoctoral fellow
- New York Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical College (2012)
- PhD
- University of Massachusetts Boston, Clinical Psychology (2012)
- MA
- University of Massachusetts Boston, Clinical Psychology (2008)
- AB
- Harvard University, Psychology (2003)
Research
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Overview
Medical Research Interests
Anxiety Disorders; Disaster Victims; Disasters; Exposure to Violence; Gender-Based Violence; Genetics, Behavioral; Mental Disorders; Mental Health Services; Mood Disorders; Psychiatry and Psychology; Psychological Phenomena; Psychological Trauma; Psychology, Clinical; Resilience, Psychological; Rwanda; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic; Stress Disorders, Traumatic, Acute; Substance-Related Disorders; Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders
Public Health Interests
Preparedness; COVID-19; Community Health; Climate Change; Behavioral Health; Infectious Diseases; Mental Health; Health Equity, Disparities, Social Determinants and Justice; Global Health; Environmental Health
ORCID
0000-0001-9544-4234
Research at a Glance
Yale Co-Authors
Frequent collaborators of Sarah Lowe's published research.
Publications Timeline
A big-picture view of Sarah Lowe's research output by year.
Research Interests
Research topics Sarah Lowe is interested in exploring.
Emma Mew
Rachel Hennein, MD, PhD
Nicola Hawley, PhD
Katie Wang, PhD
Kai Chen, PhD
Erica Spatz, MD, MHS
89Publications
2,115Citations
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
Disasters
Resilience, Psychological
Mental Disorders
Anxiety Disorders
Mental Health Services
Publications
2026
Intergenerational impact of maternal trauma on adolescent depression: The role of parenting factors in Samoan mother-daughter dyads
Mew E, Lowe S, Shabanova V, Soliai-Lemusu S, Toelupe R, Iopu F, Naseri J, Loia M, Tasele S, Tofaeono J, Tofaeono V, Hawley N, McCutchan-Tofaeono J. Intergenerational impact of maternal trauma on adolescent depression: The role of parenting factors in Samoan mother-daughter dyads. Social Science & Medicine 2026, 119173. DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2026.119173.Peer-Reviewed Original Research“Just Getting Along, Together”: The Relationship Between Narratives of Interdependence and Psychological Well-Being Among American Adults With Disabilities During the First 3 Years of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Adler J, Manning R, Pieterse K, Cowan H, Bogart K, Lowe S, Nario-Redmond M, Ostrove J, Wang K. “Just Getting Along, Together”: The Relationship Between Narratives of Interdependence and Psychological Well-Being Among American Adults With Disabilities During the First 3 Years of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal Of Personality And Social Psychology 2026, 130: 109-128. PMID: 40742779, DOI: 10.1037/pspp0000571.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsPsychological Well-BeingResults of multilevel modeling analysesWell-beingAssociated with psychological well-beingWithin-person analysesMultilevel modeling analysesAmerican adultsAssociated with lower levelsLevels of well-beingNarrative themesWithin-personInterdisciplinary field of disability studiesPsychological researchNarrative promptsUnusual associationsDisabilityField of disability studiesModel analysisCOVID-19 pandemicAdultsDisconnectionInterdisciplinary fieldPeopleDisability studiesAssociation
2025
Immigrant Generation and Mental Health Among Muslim American Youth: Pathways Through Perceived Discrimination and Muslim American Identity
Bonumwezi J, Grapin S, Lowe S. Immigrant Generation and Mental Health Among Muslim American Youth: Pathways Through Perceived Discrimination and Muslim American Identity. American Journal Of Orthopsychiatry 2025 PMID: 41021514, DOI: 10.1037/ort0000880.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsAnxiety symptomsMeasures of perceived discriminationMental healthIndirect effectsHeightened riskAmerican college studentsMuslim American identityImmigrant generationRisk of psychological symptomsSecond-generationMuslim AmericansDepressive symptomsLow symptomsImmigrant mental healthPsychological symptomsCollege studentsPerceived DiscriminationEffects of immigrant generationAnxietyDepressionAmerican identityClinical interventionsAmerican youthLevel of discriminationSecond-generation immigrantsPrevalence of common mental disorders in survivors of natural hazards – a meta-analytic comparison of exposed vs. non-exposed samples
Kip A, Hoppen T, Tam K, Bryant R, Lowe S, Morina N. Prevalence of common mental disorders in survivors of natural hazards – a meta-analytic comparison of exposed vs. non-exposed samples. Journal Of Environmental Psychology 2025, 106: 102690. DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvp.2025.102690.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsConceptsPosttraumatic stress disorderSymptom severityMental disordersSymptom severity of posttraumatic stress disorderSeverity of posttraumatic stress disorderCurrent posttraumatic stress disorderRisk of posttraumatic stress disorderSeverity of mental disordersModerate-to-large effectCurrent depression diagnosisMeta-analytic comparisonStress disorderDepression diagnosisDisordersRandom-effects meta-analysesDepressionMeta-analysesNon-exposed controlsSymptomsThree-level modelMeta-analysisLong-term riskFindingsEffective preventionParticipantsContending With Disability-Based Minority Stressors: Adapting the Minority Stress Model to People With Disabilities
Manning R, Cipollina R, Bogart K, Lowe S, Adler J, Ostrove J, Nario-Redmond M, Wang K. Contending With Disability-Based Minority Stressors: Adapting the Minority Stress Model to People With Disabilities. Rehabilitation Psychology 2025 PMID: 40720305, DOI: 10.1037/rep0000633.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsEmotion dysregulationProximal minority stressorsMinority stressorsDepressive symptomsDisabled adultsCross-sectional mediation analysisAssociated with depressive symptomsMinority stress modelMental health interventionsMultiple disabilitiesNondisabled peersSample of PWDMediation analysisConfidence intervalsEmotionsExperiences of ableismDepressionStressorsSexual minoritiesDisabilityIndirect effectsHealth interventionsInternalized ableismDisability statusSymptomsTrajectories of Major Depression and Generalized Anxiety Symptoms Among People With Disabilities During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Lowe S, Fan J, Michel C, Manning R, Adler J, Bogart K, Nario-Redmond M, Ostrove J, Wang K. Trajectories of Major Depression and Generalized Anxiety Symptoms Among People With Disabilities During the COVID-19 Pandemic. American Journal Of Orthopsychiatry 2025 PMID: 40338598, DOI: 10.1037/ort0000855.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsGeneralized anxiety disorderGeneralized anxiety disorder symptomsSymptom trajectoriesSocial isolationDisability stigmaGeneralized anxiety symptomsPredictors of trajectory membershipLatent class growth analysisPandemic-related stressorsAnxiety disordersMajor depressionAnxiety symptomsOdds of membershipTraumatic eventsPersistent MDHigher social isolationTrajectory membershipLongitudinal studyDisability characteristicsDisabilityDepressionSymptomsGeneral populationGrowth analysisPredictorsEmbracing complexity in resilience research
Lowe S. Embracing complexity in resilience research. Nature Mental Health 2025, 3: 391-392. DOI: 10.1038/s44220-025-00403-9.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricFloods and cause-specific mortality in the United States applying a triply robust approach
Chu L, Warren J, Spatz E, Lowe S, Lu Y, Ma X, Ross J, Krumholz H, Chen K. Floods and cause-specific mortality in the United States applying a triply robust approach. Nature Communications 2025, 16: 2853. PMID: 40122917, PMCID: PMC11930965, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-58236-0.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsCDC's National Center for Health StatisticsNational Center for Health StatisticsCause-specific mortality ratesCenter for Health StatisticsCause-specific mortalityHealth impacts of floodingExcess all-cause deathsLong-term health risksFlood daysLong-term associationDeath recordsHealth StatisticsConfounder adjustmentExternal causesStorm Events DatabaseAll-cause deathHealth impactsImpact of floodsPropensity scorePost‐flood yearMortality rateMyocardial infarctionPost-floodContiguous U.S.Respiratory diseaseWeathering the Storm: Exploring the Use of the Strong Black Woman Role in the Coping Strategies of Black Women Survivors of Hurricane Katrina
Sapiro B, Mendez A, Haynes C, Lowe S, Cioè-Peña M, Waters M. Weathering the Storm: Exploring the Use of the Strong Black Woman Role in the Coping Strategies of Black Women Survivors of Hurricane Katrina. Women & Therapy 2025, 48: 375-412. PMID: 40963814, PMCID: PMC12439850, DOI: 10.1080/02703149.2025.2461574.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsBlack womenHurricane KatrinaBlack women’s roleSurvivors of Hurricane KatrinaStrong Black WomanGendered pressuresCoping strategiesGendered RacismStructural oppressionSurvivors of disastersWomen's rolesCulturally appropriate interventionsLongitudinal interviewsBlack mothersSelf-relianceStrong Black Woman schemaResearchers identified themesNarrative analysisBlack girlsHelp-seekingAppropriate interventionsCommunity collegesKatrinaWomenInterviewsLong-Term Courses of Posttraumatic Growth in Survivors of Hurricane Katrina
Preston J, Lowe S, Rhodes J. Long-Term Courses of Posttraumatic Growth in Survivors of Hurricane Katrina. Traumatology An International Journal 2025, 31: 116-126. DOI: 10.1037/trm0000497.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsPosttraumatic growthAssociated with membershipIncreased PTGDecreasing PTGPosttraumatic growth trajectoriesPerceived Social SupportIncreased odds of membershipOdds of membershipStressor scoresPositive religious copingPsychosocial resourcesSocial supportSense of purposeSmall body of literaturePredisaster dataLow-incomeIncreased oddsFactors associated with stabilityBlack mothersReligious copingClinical interventionsTrauma eventsNeighborhood satisfactionSurvivorsTrauma survivors
Academic Achievements & Community Involvement
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Activities
activity Connecticut Governor's Council on Climate Change (GC3)
06/01/2020 - PresentPeer Review Groups and Grant Study SectionsMemberactivity Scientific Oversight Committee, Aliso Canyon Disaster Health Research Study
2020 - PresentPeer Review Groups and Grant Study SectionsMemberactivity Office
07/01/2019 - PresentResearchDetailsNew Haven, CT, United States
Honors
honor Award for Outstanding Contribution to Trauma Psychology by an Early Career Psychologist
08/30/2022National AwardAmerican Psychological Association Division 56 (Trauma Psychology)DetailsUnited Stateshonor Robins/Guze Early Career Award
04/01/2021National AwardAmerican Psychopathological AssociationDetailsUnited Stateshonor Wendy U. and Thomas C. Naratil Pioneer Award
10/01/2020Yale School of Medicine AwardYale Women’s Health Research ProgramDetailsUnited Stateshonor Chancellor’s Distinguished Dissertation Award in the Social Sciences
06/01/2013Other AwardUniversity of Massachusetts BostonDetailsUnited Stateshonor Faculty Council Award for Research Excellence
06/01/2012Other AwardWeill Cornell Medical CollegeDetailsUnited States
News
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News
- November 11, 2025
Advancing Emergency and Humanitarian Care: Sharon Chekijian and the Crisis, Emergency, and Disaster Faculty Network
- August 29, 2025Source: JAMA Network
Twenty Years After Hurricane Katrina, What Are Its Legacy and Lessons?
- July 30, 2025Source: U.S. News & World Report
How Climate Change and Extreme Weather Can Hurt Your Health
- May 20, 2025Source: The New York Times
Minnesota Teens Are Fighting Climate Anxiety With Shovels
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