Paula Nurius

Dr. Paula Nurius studies processes and effects of stress and trauma focusing on vulnerable and socially disadvantaged populations, early/preventive intervention and fostering resilience. Her research on life course stress integrates structural, psychosocial and biobehavioral mechanisms, distinguishing direct, cumulative and interactive effects of early and later life stress exposures alongside protective factors. One strand of this work assesses relationships of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) to later stress proliferation and erosion of health protective resources.

A mental health specialist, she is increasingly focusing on comorbid physical, mental, and behavioral health outcomes as well as incorporating effects of the physical environment—such as air pollution and neighborhood characteristics—in multi-level models to explain stress responding and disparities in population health and functioning outcomes. She maintains multiple affiliations on campus including the Center for Studies of Demography and Ecology wherein her research relates to the population health themes of: 1) Children, Adolescents and the Transition to Adulthood and 2) Social and Biological Contexts of Population Health.