Four Pines Fellowship

I have always been curious about the widespread impact that mental illness has on individuals, families, and communities. This curiosity has fueled my commitment to studying self-injurious thoughts and behaviors. From my work at the Child Mind Institute's Healthy Brain Network to my studies at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, I have been driven by a singular focus: to uncover the underlying mechanisms of suicidality and develop effective interventions, especially for adolescents and young adults. With extensive research experience focused on youth, I am particularly drawn to understanding and addressing the unique challenges faced by this vulnerable demographic. The supportive environment fostered by Dr. Jobes and the Suicide Prevention Lab at Catholic University has been ideal for exploring my research interests in suicide-specific interventions. Under Dr. Jobes' mentorship, made possible through Four Pines, I have the invaluable opportunity to contribute meaningfully to suicide prevention and treatment efforts. With the support of the Four Pines Fellowship, I am dedicated to advancing the field of suicidality research and making a tangible difference in the lives of youth affected by suicidality.

I began researching suicide while working as a post-baccalaureate research assistant at the National Institute of Mental Health. I had the privilege of listening to the stories of patients who survived suicide attempts or were experiencing suicidal thoughts. I developed a passion for this line of work, wanting to understand how we can better assess and help individuals experiencing suicidal thoughts and behaviors. This passion led me to pursue a doctoral degree in clinical psychology, so that I can learn how to help individuals both as a mental health provider and through my research. I was inspired by Dr. Jobes’ innovative and collaborative approach to patient care and knew that I wanted to complete my PhD in the Suicide Prevention Lab. Through the generous support of the Four Pines Fellowship, I am able to pursue a doctorate degree— continuing research on suicide assessments and treatments while working towards my goal of becoming a skilled clinician, in hopes that I can begin to make a differences in the lives of individuals impacted by suicide.

I first became aware of the importance of suicide prevention research during my undergraduate career at Florida State University (FSU). Through roles as an office assistant at the FSU Psychology Clinic and research assistant in Dr. Thomas Joiner’s Laboratory for the Study and Prevention of Suicide-Related Conditions and Behaviors, I became struck by the challenges inherent in assessing individuals for suicide risk as well as the importance of creating a care environment sensitive to the needs of individuals experiencing suicidal thoughts. Now, with the assistance of the Four Pines Fellowship, I can strive to find more optimal ways to ask individuals about their current suicidality by refining and enhancing risk assessment approaches, through clinical research.

My introduction to psychological research was initially as a research assistant at American University studying emotion regulation. I was fascinated – but eager to use my interests and skills to more directly improve the lives of others. At Catholic, I became curious about how the manner in which someone regulates their emotions may function as a risk or protective factor for suicidal thoughts and behaviors. The generosity of Four Pines empowers me to investigate and uncover suicide, a critical public health issue. My research targets the 'who, why, and how' of suicide. How do emotions and emotion regulation play a role in the onset and maintenance of suicidal thoughts? How can clinicians identify specific treatments that are best suited for individual clients, knowing that one size does not fit all? What risk factors or other parameters should clinicians use to select a treatment that could be most helpful? The Four Pines Fellowship is supporting my work in answering these questions, and I am so grateful to be doing my part to help prevent suicide. 

I became interested in mental health research very early on during college – it was a topic I had always been intrigued by and wanted to pursue as a career. As a research assistant in a psychotherapy research lab, I was able to watch and code videos of recorded therapy sessions. I was able to learn from the therapists’ techniques and critically think about how treatment varied from client to client. I watched a therapy session of a client who told the therapist that she had thought about killing herself a few years ago, and had never told anyone about it. I had never heard anyone say out loud that they had contemplated suicide and strangely, I wanted to know everything I could about how suicidal thoughts developed and played out in people’s lives. At the National Institute of Mental Health, I became immersed in suicide prevention research. I identified treatment interventions for individuals at risk for suicide as my research focus in graduate school, and working with Dr. Jobes was a high goal of mine. The financial support from the Four Pines Fellowship has allowed me to pursue education through the Catholic University of America's Clinical Psychology PhD Program and guidance under Dr. Jobes that I feel will best prepare me as a researcher and a clinician in this field.