UC Santa Barbara Gevirtz School Associate Professor Dr. Erika Felix will present at the 32nd Annual Meeting of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS) from November 10-12 in Dallas, Texas. The theme of this year’s meeting is “Trauma and Public Health: Innovative Technology and Knowledge Dissemination.” Dr. Felix is part of two presentations: “Social Cognitive Dynamics following Mass Community Violence: How Social Barriers Alter Pathways to Individual and Community Adaptation,” and “Socio-Contextual Influences on Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms following Mass Violence.” The goal of the ISTSS is to understand the wide scope of trauma and trauma-related disorders using an interdisciplinary approach including epidemiology, biostatistics and health services research.
In “Social Cognitive Dynamics following Mass Community Violence: How Social Barriers Alter Pathways to Individual and Community Adaptation,” Dr. Felix will speak about preventative and responsive measures related to exposure to mass violence based on her research in the area. The second presentation, “Socio-Contextual Influences on Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms following Mass Violence,” specifically focuses on research performed after the 2014 murders that occurred near UCSB’s campus. Dr. Felix’s study after the tragedy examines areas including PTSD, media coverage of the events, and more. The second symposium supports the international focus of ISTSS by bringing together research groups from three different countries (China, Norway, US) to present research on the influence of social resources on trauma adaptation.
Dr. Felix is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology in the Department of Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology and a licensed psychologist. She received her B.A. in psychology from the University of Southern California and her Ph.D. in clinical-community psychology from DePaul University. After completing a postdoctoral research fellowship at UCSB, she continued as a professional researcher for several years before joining the faculty in 2014. Dr. Felix is committed to a career that contributes to evidence-based efforts to promote the mental health and educational well-being of diverse children and youth. Her research is focused on understanding the individual, relational, and contextual factors that promote positive youth development or recovery despite contexts of risk, trauma, or stress; informing and evaluating prevention efforts; and improving service delivery. Her work spans three related areas: (1) promoting adaptive recovery for youth following disaster, terrorism, or other collectively-experienced traumas, (2) youth victimization and its consequences, and (3) research and evaluation to improve community-based services. Her research has been funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, National Institute of Child Health & Human Development, private foundations, and local community organizations.