Post Docs
Hannah Swerbenski, PhD
Dr. Hannah Swerbenski is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Mt Hope Family Center and affiliated with our NIH-funded center of excellence, the TRANSFORM Research Center. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Tulane University in 2017, with majors in Psychology, Cognitive Studies, and Asian Studies, as well as a minor in Philosophy. She received both her MA and PhD in Developmental Psychology from the University of Rochester, with specializations in developmental psychopathology and advanced quantitative methods.
Broadly construed, her research interests concern developmental psychopathology, the intergenerational transmission of adversity, and developmental sequelae of child maltreatment. In particular, Dr. Swerbenski is interested in how early experiences of child abuse and neglect impact parenting in the next generation and disentangling physiological and psychological mediating mechanisms of this association. Her current research program expands this line of work to also focus on mechanisms of biological embedding of stress following exposure to childhood sexual abuse, particularly using advanced longitudinal modeling methods.
Dr. Swerbenski uses a variety of quantitative methods in her research, including structural equation modeling and person-centered approaches. She strives to capture multilevel and multimethod data and has expertise in narrative and observational coding methods as well as measure development. In line with strengths-based approaches, she seeks to identify protective factors that may buffer or break associations between early adversity and negative developmental sequelae in her research. These strengths-based approaches dove-tail with her current work on child sexual abuse prevention and community education. Dr. Swerbenski also promotes science communication to broader audiences in her role curating Fact Sheet content for the TRANSFORM Community Engagement Core and nonpartisan policy advocacy work.
View Dr. Swerbenski’s publications here: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Hannah-Swerbenski
Julianne Myers, PhD
Dr. Julianne Myers is a postdoctoral associate in THRIVE FASD Research and Clinical Services. Julianne received her PhD in clinical psychology from Seattle Pacific University and completed her predoctoral clinical internship at Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis, IN with a focus on pediatric mental health and autism spectrum disorder.
Julianne’s research focuses broadly on diagnostic systems and clinical services for individuals and families with FASD. She uses systems-based theory and implementation science research methodology to create and understand the effectiveness of app-based supports for caregivers. Additionally, she is researching models for tiered-support systems for communities with FASD including training providers in FASD-informed care using the ECHO framework. Julianne is passionate about addressing barriers experienced by families with FASD and increasing access to services for individuals with FASD throughout the lifespan.
These passions have led her to work towards expanding the clinical services offered within the FASD clinic to include specialty consultation and diagnostic services for children and adults with complex neurodevelopmental profiles and exposure to substances and alcohol, differentiation between concerns of autism and prenatal alcohol exposure, person-centered planning intervention approaches to thrive as a young adult with FASD, and caregiver-focused supports for child anxiety within prenatally-exposed populations using the SPACE protocol. Julianne also provides caregiver-focused intervention for families with children with FASD to increase parent knowledge, skills-use, advocacy, and self-care through the Families Moving Forward Program.
View Dr. Myers’ publications Google Scholar.