Dr. Christopher Mehus

Research Associate Professor

I am a Prevention Scientist with a background in family science, family therapy, parenting interventions, primary care research, and psychological trauma. My overarching goal is to improve public health by supporting parents in raising healthy children. I am pursing this goal through research to foster engagement in and create sustainable access to effective parenting interventions and support, with an emphasis on highly stressed families. This research agenda includes gaining a better understanding of parenting behaviors and the role of parent-child relationships in developmental pathways; understanding the intersection of trauma and parent-child interactions; engaging parents in adolescent health and healthcare; and evaluating the effectiveness and implementation of parenting programs delivered through primary care settings. 

Dr. Jaime Ballard

Program Manager

My research focuses on developing and increasing access to effective programs that support whole-family wellbeing.  I am a mother of two and I find parenting challenging on a regular basis! I am passionate about making supports more accessible to all parents and caregivers.

My perspective is shaped by my research and relationships with immigrant parents, particularly Karen and Latina/o parents, indicating there are cultural assets and systemic stressors that have been largely ignored in parenting supports. In the Center, I support development of parenting resources that draw from cultural assets to empower both parents and providers. 

Laura Sergeant, BA

Research Coordinator

Laura has experience in early childhood education, mental health research, and effective family engagement. She directs our parent outreach for studies, coordinates with therapists, and implements all daily research operations for families. Her research interests include educational improvement, mental health, and substance use disorders.

Marci Exsted, MSW

Research Coordinator

Marci implements all daily research operations for clinicians and directs our observational coding. Marci’s interests heavily emphasize participatory methodologies - finding ways to uplift expertise from people with lived experiences to challenge and remedy the issues they face.

Isabel M. Montanez

Research Support

Isabel Montanez has extensive experience as a Spanish interpreter and translator in medical and educational settings, and excels in building relationships with parents and responding to family needs. She co-leads our outreach to parents.

Rasheda Jenkins

Research Support

Rasheda Jenkins is a trained Family Academy Facilitator, with extensive experience in building community and healthy relationships that empower growth. She co-leads our outreach to parents.

The Center is supported by a team of graduate and undergraduate students in Family Science and Family Therapy. These students bring a wealth of experience in parenting, trauma, kinship caregivers, parent-child interactions, mental health, and multicultural context in families.

Team meetings are currently held every other Wednesday at 11:00. Students interested in joining can contact Dr. Mehus or [email protected]. 

Current student researchers include:

Alivia Xiong
I am a junior studying Early Childhood: Individualized Studies and minoring in Family Social Science and Developmental Psychology. I am also a McNair Scholar. My research interest focuses on parenting and parent-child relationships, specifically attachment, and how interactions in early childhood can impact those bonds throughout lifespans.

Haoran Zhou 
I am a forth-year Ph.D. candidate specializing in Couple and Family Therapy in the Department of Family Social Science at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. My research focuses on understanding the challenges faced by adolescents and their families ever exposed adverse childhood experiences from a developmental perspective, with an emphasis on accessing and developing family-based interventions. I also work clinically with individuals and families recovering from trauma, helping them rebuild and strengthen their relationship.

Minghui Xin
I am a Ph.D. student in the Family Social Science department at the University of Minnesota. My research focuses on fostering resilience in children exposed to trauma and adversity through family-based prevention and intervention.

Pamela Dysart
I am a PhD student in Family Social Science, and a mother of two. My research interests include death, grief, loss, trauma, hospice/palliative care, and transnational migration.

Yunqi (Kay) He, MA
I am a Ph.D. student in the Family Social Science department at the University of Minnesota. My research focuses on how adverse childhood experiences impact the emotional well-being of youth. I am interested in identifying effective strategies that can alleviate the negative impact of ACEs on youth. 

We also thank the talented students who supported this work before moving on to new opportunities. See our alumni here.

Our work is guided by our clinician and therapist advisors, including:

• Dr. Sonja Colianni, Director of Pediatric Medical Education, Hennepin Healthcare 
• Cedric Weatherspoon, LMFT, President/Clinical Director of Empower Therapeutic Support Services, Inc.
• September Luitjens, office manager, Empower Therapeutic Support Services, Inc.
• Lisa Xiong, Senior Director of Clinical Services, Change Inc