Joann Chen Profile
Joann Chen
Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program
Research Topic: Association between parental adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and parent and infant outcomes in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)
Mentor(s): Veronica Bordes Edgar, Ph.D.
Undergraduate Degree: Bachelor of Arts
Undergraduate Institution: University of Chicago
Hometown: Plano, TX
Awards: Jerry M. Lewis Mental Health Research Foundation Research Grant; Texas Psychological Association Poster Competition, Second Place (2022)
How did you become interested in science and/or research specifically?
Seeing intergenerational impacts of trauma, including war, addiction, and parental separation, both in my personal and professional lives, drew me to research to prevent intergenerational transfer of trauma. I love applying the rigor of strong, defensible processes to answering questions that can inform interventions.
Tell us about your research project and its relevance to human health.
Using an intergenerational lens to adversity allows us to address trauma from the past and prevent its transmission to the future. By understanding more about how parental childhood ACEs affect both parents and infants in the perinatal period, we can address the needs of both generations, particularly in high-risk settings like the NICU.
Why did you choose to come to UT Southwestern for graduate school?
Having changed careers after 20 years, I was thrilled to find UT Southwestern's unique Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program. The accelerated pace of the program, the breadth of clinical training experiences offered, the depth of expertise within a top-ranked academic medical center, and the quality of research taking place across disciplines were exactly what I hoped for in a rigorous graduate school experience that would prepare me to be an excellent clinician and researcher.
In your opinion, what makes your specific program one of the top in the country?
Because of both the breadth and depth of opportunities available across UT Southwestern and affiliated sites, the UTSW Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program is able to offer a level of clinical and research training unmatched in other programs.
What do you love about your program or why should a prospective student decide to get their Ph.D. here?
As an aspiring health psychologist, I have not only been able to build the fundamental skills I will need in this career but also go deeper into exploring the capabilities, settings, and populations that will meet and match my passion. No other program I know allows the breadth of exploration and the depth of specialization that UTSW's program has afforded me.