Dissociative Disorders and Trauma Research Program

The Lab’s Core ideology

Central Values: Guiding principles by which we navigate.  These are values we would have regardless of the job, and even if they were a competitive disadvantage.

• Passion fueled by creativity, perseverance, and good (self-deprecating) humor

• Connection – to cultivate a culture of belonging and openness through both knowing others and the privilege of bearing witness to peoples’ stories

• Ambition – a strong desire to achieve with a healthy dose of humility

Core Purpose: our lab’s reason for being

• To understand the adaptability of the human mind and body, so that we can help those impacted by childhood abuse.

Mission

The Dissociative Disorders and Trauma Research Program, founded in 2013 by Dr. Milissa Kaufman and now jointly directed by Dr. Kaufman and Dr. Lauren Lebois, focuses on individuals with experiences of childhood trauma. Dissociative symptoms are associated with trauma spectrum disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and dissociative identity disorder (DID). These symptoms may include memory gaps, feelings of detachment from one’s body, emotions, or environment, confusion over one’s identity, and shifts in one’s identity.

We aim to identify and understand, in a clinically nuanced manner, the phenomenology, brain mechanisms, cognitions, physiology, and genes contributing to PTSD and DID and how they relate to both dysfunction and resilience in these disorders.

Using statistical, behavioral, and imaging techniques, we aim to document people's experience of trauma and its consequences, to understand the heterogeneity of post-traumatic adaptations, and to identify those who will respond optimally to a particular treatment. Ultimately, we hope to reduce the stigma surrounding these experiences and improve the quality of assessment and treatment that people receive.

SpecifIc Projects