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Lab Director:

Dr. Colleen Conley

(she/her/hers)

My research blends observational patterns, meta-analytic/systematic reviews, and intervention development and evaluation, with the goal of improving well-being, especially through critical life experiences and developmental transition periods.

Dr. Conley will be reviewing graduate applicants for Fall 2025, and she wishes all applicants good luck in this application cycle!

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Overview: My research blends observational patterns, meta-analytic/systematic reviews, and intervention development and evaluation, with the goal of improving well-being, especially through critical life experiences and developmental transition periods.

Observational research:  Much of my earlier research examines trajectories of psychological well- and ill-being in adolescence and emerging adulthood. These pathways are illuminated in the context of developmental transition periods, such as school transitions. Grounded in a developmental psychopathology perspective, my research examines the dynamic interplay between individuals and their developmental contexts over time, and the interacting contributions from multiple systems – biological, psychological, cognitive and social/interpersonal. Toward this end, my research has examined the contributions of individual factors (gender, physical development, cognitive styles) and interpersonal factors (peer and family relationships, interpersonal styles), as well as the interactional and transactional processes by which these factors relate to each other and to psychosocial distress. I am also interested in gender issues, such as exploring the characteristics, contexts, and mechanisms that place adolescent girls and young women at elevated risk for internalizing problems, and our ongoing work seeks to contribute insight and innovation to addressing LGBTQIA+ well-being. It is my hope that this program of research will inform family-, school-, and community-based interventions aimed at building resiliency in adolescents and emerging adults, in the face of normative and atypical developmental challenges. 

Meta-analytic and systematic reviews: Our lab has conducted several meta-analytic and systematic reviews that have shaped our later work on intervention development.

Intervention research:  More recently, my research team has been developing, implementing, and evaluating the effectiveness of interventions for youth of various ages, including emerging-adult college students.

These interventions include: 

  • treatment, prevention, and stepped/staged care models; 

  • using digital and face-to-face (individual and group) delivery formats;

  • both stand-alone and embedded - i.e., into courses, academic advising or other routine services;

  • led by trained peers, paraprofessionals (e.g., university staff), and mental health workers. 

In this work we also seek to understand moderators of intervention impact, and ways to optimize interventions to meet the needs of individuals and groups based on their personal, social, and cultural experiences. We have several research studies evaluating the effectiveness of interventions for college students (see descriptions on this website).
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Mentoring: In my experience, the most successful researchers strike a good balance between "zooming in" (being diligent and meticulously attentive to detail), and "zooming out" (envisioning big-picture ideas, being self-directed and inventive). Accordingly, my approach to mentoring graduate students in research combines top-down and bottom-up approaches: While I provide structure, support, and guidance for students, I also urge them to take co-ownership of the work we do in our lab, and to develop their own independent project ideas and research skills. I also encourage my students to take their research endeavors beyond the lab, by publishing in peer-reviewed journals and presenting at national conferences.


 

Current Graduate Students

Graduate students who wish to conduct their master's thesis or dissertation in the IMPACT lab may use data from one of our completed/ongoing projects, or may develop a new project and collect their own data.

Current Research Assistants


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IMPACT Lab Alumni

Former Graduate Students

  • Amanda Ruggieri- BS Psychology from Brown University (2016)

  • Carol Hundert Gonzales - PhD in Clinical Psychology from Loyola University (2022), BS in Psychology from Yale University (2014)

  • Brynn Huguenel - PhD in Clinical Psychology from Loyola University (2021), BA in Psychology from Boston College (2012)

  • Jenna Shapiro- PhD in Clinical Psychology from Loyola University (2019), BA in Psychology and minor in Dance from Barnard College of Columbia University in 2011 

  • Alex Kirsch - PhD in Clinical Psychology from Loyola University (2017), BA in Psychology from Kenyon College (2011)

  • ​Catherine Lee - PhD in Clinical Psychology from Loyola University (2016), BA in Psychology from Cornell University (2008)

  • ​Lea Travers - PhD in Clinical Psychology from Loyola University (2015), BS in Cognitive Neuroscience from Brown University (2008)

  • Daniel Dickson - PhD in Clinical Psychology from Loyola University (2015), BA in Psychology from UCLA (2006)

  • Ashley Rolnik -  PhD in Clinical Psychology from Loyola University (2014), BA in Psychology from Northwestern University (2008)

  • ​Alison Stoner -  PhD in Clinical Psychology from Loyola University (2014), BA in Psychology from the University of Notre Dame (2008)

Former RAs

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  • Josh Knutsen - BS in Psychology and minor in Journalism (2024) 

  • Sara Sadok - BS in Biology and minor in Theater (2024)

  • Ali Boutelle - BS in Biochemistry (2024)

  • Kerry Finnegan​ - BS in Psychology and  minor in Urban Studies at the College of Holy Cross (2024)

  • Khushi Thakkar - BS in Clinical Psychology and minor in Informatics and Business at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (2024) 

  • Matt Shack - BS in Psychology (2023)

  • Marie Chamberlain - BA in Psychology and Criminal Justice/Criminology and minor in Women's and Gender Studies (2022)

  • Ally Tetzlaff - BA in Psychology and minor in Business Administration (2022)

  • Danielle Arntson - BA in Psychology (2022)

  • Callie Navarrete - BA in Psychology (2021)

  • Abigail Blum - BA in Psychology and Creative Writing (2020) from Northwestern University

  • Samad Alvi- BS in Psychology and minor in Biology (2021)

  • Lauren Nowakowski- BS in Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience and Psychology and minor in Bioethics (2021)

  • Shanna Anssari- BS in Psychology (2021)

  • Maria Bandriwsky- BS in Psychology and minor in Biology (2021)

  • Saba Shalwani- BS in Psychology and minor in Bioethics (2021)

  • Adorina Bethishou- BS in Psychology (2021) 

  • Avery Pankratz- BS in Psychology and Criminal Justice and Criminology (2020) 

  • Victoria Sardalla- BS in Psychology (2020)

  • Chelsea Moore- BS in Psychology and minor in Biology (2020) 

  • Mia Allen- BA in Psychology (2019)

  • Noor Abdelfattah- BS in Psychology and Political Science and minor in Spanish (2019) 

  • Sylwia Osos- BS in Psychology and minor in Spanish and Sociology from Loyola University (2019) 

  • Khrystyna Stetsiv- BS in Psychology and minor in Journalism from Loyola University (2019) 

  • Aleksandra Winiarz- BS in Psychology and Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience from Loyola University (2018), RA in pharmacology lab in Center for Translational Research and Education at Loyola University Chicago in Maywood

  • Caroline Wysgalla- Studying at Loyola University; Psychology and Psychology of Crime and Justice

  • Noah Whiteman - Studying at Lawrence University; pre-medical focus studying biology and environmental science 

  • Anum Afzal - BS in Psychology from Loyola University (2017)

  • Maggie Meagher - BS in Psychology and BA in Sociology from Loyola University (2017), Candidate for Doctor of Medicine at UCSD

  • Alexander Karl - BA in Psychology from Loyola University (2016)

  • Gavin Crowell - BA in Psychology from Knox College (2016)

  • Giulia Zanini - BS in Psychology from Loyola University (2016)

  • Melissa Haggerty - BS in Psychology from Loyola University (2017)

  • John Clifford - BS in Psychology from Loyola University (2016)

  • Liz Pope ​- BS in Psychology from Loyola University (2011), Candidate for Juris Doctor at University of South Carolina (2017)

  • Samicchya Adhikari - BS in Psychology from Loyola University (2013), Master's Degree in Biological and Biomedical Sciences from Kansas City University (2015)

  • ​Zamara Qureshi - BS in Biology from Loyola University (2016), Candidate for Master of Science Physician's Assistant Studies at Midwestern University (2018)

  • ​Devin Jordan - BS in Psychology from Loyola University (2014), Candidate for an MBA/MSHR from Loyola University (2018)

  • Monica Kulach - BS in Psychology from Loyola University (2014)

  • Katlyn Dillane - BS in Psychology from Loyola University (2014)

  • Bita Rad​ - BS in Psychology, BA in Spanish from Loyola University (2014)

  • Colleen Cook - BS in Psychology from Loyola University (2015)

  • Lisa Ike​ - BS in Criminal Justics from the University of Houston (2010), MA in Counseling, Forensic Specialization from Adler University (2015)

  • ​Whitney Lai - BS in Psychology from Loyola University (2015)

  • ​Tracey Riley - BS in Psychology from Loyola University (2014)

  • ​Michael Ryva - BS in Psychology from Loyola University (2013)

  • ​Juan Barriga​ - BS in Psychology from Loyola University (2015), Candidate for an MA in Clinical Psychology (2017)

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