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Sarah Lowe, PhD

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

Contact Information

Sarah Lowe, PhD

Research Summary

Dr. Lowe’s research focuses on the mental health consequences of a range of potentially traumatic and stressful life events. Key questions addressed by her research include (1) What are the common patterns, or trajectories, of mental health symptoms after exposure?; (2) What are the mechanisms linking exposure to long-term psychiatric outcomes?; and (3) What is the role of factors at various ecological levels – from genes to neighborhoods – in shaping risk and resilience? She has explored these questions in the aftermath of a range of traumatic and stressful events, including natural and technological disasters, community violence, unwanted sexual experiences, serious injuries, and discrimination. Through interdisciplinary collaboration, she and her colleagues have utilized a range of research methodologies (e.g., structural equation modeling, latent growth curve modeling, qualitative and mixed-methods analysis) and incorporated various sources of data (e.g., genetic, survey, community-level, and social media data) to shed light on trauma and mental health. She has published over 50 peer-reviewed journal articles, and her work as been funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, and Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response.

Coauthors

Research Interests

Anxiety Disorders; Mental Disorders; Disasters; Genetics, Behavioral; Mental Health Services; Psychological Phenomena; Psychology, Clinical; Rwanda; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic; Mood Disorders; Substance-Related Disorders; Stress Disorders, Traumatic, Acute; Resilience, Psychological; Disaster Victims; Psychiatry and Psychology; Psychological Trauma; Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders; Exposure to Violence; Gender-Based Violence

Public Health Interests

Behavioral Health; Community Health; Preparedness; Environmental Health; Global Health; Climate Change; Infectious Diseases; Mental Health; Health Equity, Disparities, Social Determinants and Justice; COVID-19

Selected Publications