IGP:
Public Health

Mentor / Lab:
Dr. Kristine Marceau and Dr. Sharon Christ

Specific Research Area / Project:
The role of substance use trajectory on the association between childhood maltreatment and intimate partner violence: a gene-environment study

Undergraduate Institution:
University of Indianapolis

Lab / Personal work-related websites:

Lab Webpage

Research Profile:

I am a developmental researcher with interests in health and well-being during adolescence and adulthood for individuals with histories of adverse childhood experiences and trauma. I am interested in examining the intersectionality of physiology and psychology as contributing factors for internalizing and externalizing problems, and physical health problems among individuals with exposure to early life adversities.

About Me:

Whereas I have always been interested in health research, it was during my experience as a visitation supervisor for an agency that contracts with Child Protective Services that I became interested in understanding the negative health consequences of childhood maltreatment and in factors that contribute to inter-individual differences in such outcomes. I approached Dr. Sharon Christ who is an expert in advanced statistical modeling and survey research methods to serve as my primary advisor at Purdue University so that I could develop advanced methodological skills and apply it to child maltreatment research.

Working with Dr. Christ, I have developed strong interests in using latent variables and appropriate survey research methods in the application of developmental consequences of child maltreatment. In order to expand the breadth of my doctoral education, I sought out additional training with two additional professors: Drs. Elliot Friedman and Kristine Marceau (co-advisor). My work with Dr. Friedman helped me further improve my methodology skills and substantive knowledge of well-being in adulthood. I worked with him on a first author paper wherein we utilized longitudinal mixture modeling to identify sub-groups of older adults with differing disablement processes and well-being factors predicting sub-group differences. My work with Dr. Friedman sparked my interest in biological processes and their health impacts.

To gain more experience with biological research, I pursued an independent research project with my co-advisor Dr. Marceau wherein we evaluated the difference between physiological stress dysregulation and stress perception on the association between multiple maltreatment exposures and depressive symptoms in adulthood. Through joining Dr. Marceau’s lab I have come to understand the important role of genetic influences on behavioral development, and how substance use might be a critical factor in how adverse childhood experiences and biological influences my exert later effects on adult well-being.

My interests in interdisciplinary research, theory, and health have also driven me to seek additional training by pursuing a joint degree in Public Health at Purdue University. The core course-work covered in this program provide me with understanding public health problems and allow me to combine this public health (population) perspective with the more individual perspective of my current doctoral training synchronously. I have also worked with my committee member Dr. Laura Schwab-Reese, a faculty in the public health program, to gain more training in epidemiology and health research.

Upon graduating, I would like to gain additional training as a post-doctoral research fellow and subsequently work as a faculty in a research-oriented university.

Awards:

• U.S. Senator Richard G. Lugar Academic Recognition 2009-2012
• Award with Distinguished Admission, University of Indianapolis ($7,900/year)
• Agricultural Research at Purdue Fellowship, Purdue University ($45,364/year) 2013-2015
• Levien Family Policy Scholarship ($1,000), Purdue University 2017
• Joseph E. Pryor Graduate/Alumni Doctoral Fellowship ($6,000), Alpha Chi 2018
• Kempe Interdisciplinary Award, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO ($1,000) 2018

Publications:

• Kwak Y.Y, Mihalec-Adkins B. P., Mishra A. A., & Christ, S. L., (2018). Differential impacts of participation in organized activities and maltreatment types on adolescent academic and socioemotional development. Child Abuse & Neglect Mishra A. A., Christ, S. L., Schwab-Reese L. M, & Nair, N. (2018). Post-traumatic stress symptom development as a function of changing witnessing in-home violence and changing peer relationship quality: Evaluating the protective effects of peer relationship quality. Child Abuse & Neglect.
• Schwab-Reese L. M, Currie D., Mishra A. A., & Peek-Asa, C. (2018). A comparison of violence victimization and polyvictimization experiences among sexual minority and heterosexual adolescents and young adults. Journal of Interpersonal Violence.
• Mishra A. A., Friedman, E., Christ, S. L., & Denning, M. (2019). The association of psychological well-being with disablement processes in a national sample. Applied Psychology: Health and Wellbeing.
• Mishra A. A., & Marceau K (2019). Co-occurring childhood maltreatment exposure and depressive symptoms in adulthood: Testing differential effects of stress dysregulation

Presentations:

• Invited Presentations
• Mishra A. A. (2017). Risks for maltreatment and consequent health outcomes throughout life. Invited seminar presented at the Department of Psychology, University of Indianapolis, IN.
• Elicker, J., Gold, Z., Lane, S., Mishra, A. A., & Christ, S. (2017). Factors predicting quality advancement in QRIS: Provider characteristics and coaching support. Invited webinar presentation to the Quality Initiatives Research and Evaluation Consortium, DHHS Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Washington, DC.
• Elicker, J., Gold, Z., Lane, S., Mishra, A.A., & Christ, S. (2017). Factors predicting quality advancement in QRIS: Provider characteristics and coaching support. Invited seminar presented at the annual meeting of the Child Care and Early Education Policy Research Consortium, DHHS Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Washington, DC.
• Mishra A. A. (2019). Maximizing your undergraduate experience. Distinguished Alumnae Speaker Alpha Chi Induction Ceremony, University of Indianapolis, IN.
• Referred Oral Presentations
• Elicker, J., Gold, Z. S., Mishra, A. A., Ruprecht, K. M., & Yazejian, N. (2015). Coaching and quality improvement: How does program quality change over time? Symposium presented at the annual QRIS National Meeting, BUILD Initiative, National Harbor, MD.