Maria Morrison

Maria Morrison is an Assistant Professor at Saint Louis University's School of Social Work, specializing in trauma-related issues within incarceration contexts. She holds a Ph.D. from Washington University in St. Louis and an M.S.W. from the University of Alabama. Her work bridges academic research with direct clinical practice through her role at the Equal Justice Initiative, a human rights organization supporting individuals in prison and during reentry.

Dr. Morrison's research focuses on trauma's intersection with incarceration, including opioid misuse among probation/parole populations, longitudinal effects of parental incarceration on foster children, and conceptual frameworks for understanding prison trauma. Her publications appear in journals like Substance Use and Misuse and Social Work.

Her professional service includes grants from the National Institute of Mental Health and Saint Louis University's Doerr Center. She teaches courses on trauma practice, social justice policy, and research methods, integrating clinical expertise with systemic advocacy.

Key awards include the Ruth L. Kirchstein National Research Service Award and collaborative grants addressing social justice education. Her work emphasizes evidence-based interventions for marginalized populations, particularly those impacted by mass incarceration.