Cindy Liu, PhD
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Research Roles/Affiliations
Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatric Newborn Medicine and Psychiatry, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Director, Developmental Risk and Cultural Resilience Laboratory
Director, Psychosocial Stress, Diversity, and Health, Connors Center for Women’s Health & Gender Biology
Director, NICU Parent Mental Health Program, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Contact Information
Brigham and Women's Hospital
75 Francis St, Boston MA 02115
E-mail: chliu@bwh.harvard.edu
Relevant Links
Research
Dr. Liu’s areas of investigation include the measurement and mechanisms of stress and its impact on mental health across key points within the developmental lifespan including the perinatal period and the transition to adulthood. Specifically, her program seems to examine developmental stress mechanisms that lead to mental health disparities in vulnerable or underrepresented populations, with one line of work focusing on Asian Americans. Research projects in the laboratory incorporate multi-method (observation, physiological, self-report) approaches and draws from multiple disciplines including developmental science and psychiatry. Dr. Liu has been a principal investigator for several pandemic mental health studies, including longitudinal studies that seeks to understand the experiences of pregnant and postpartum women, young adults, and Asian American families throughout the pandemic. Her work has been funded by the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation and featured in various outlets included the New York Times, USA Today, and CBS News.
Research Interests
Perinatal stress
Parent child relationships
Youth and emerging adulthood
Discrimination
Mental health disparities
Racial socialization