Colleen J Cicchetti

Dr. Colleen J Cicchetti is a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, with hospital affiliations at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. She directs the Center for Childhood Resilience and participates in the Institute for Public Health and Medicine (IPHAM).

Her academic credentials include a BS from Duke University (1986), MEd from Harvard University Graduate School of Education (1989), and PhD from Northwestern University Medical School (1996).

Dr. Cicchetti's research centers on child trauma response, examining how potentially traumatic events impact socioemotional development in Black and Latinx preschoolers while developing school-based resilience programs for newcomer populations. Her work bridges clinical psychology with public health implementation, emphasizing equity in urban educational settings.

Recent publications reveal a focused trajectory on trauma-responsive school systems, with studies evaluating interventions like TEACH and STRONG that integrate community healing frameworks with developmental science for young children exposed to adversity.

Her accolades include:

• Dream Builders Award, Family Focus (2025)
• UNICEF Chicago Humanitarian of the Year Award (2018)
• Public Education of the Year Award, NAMI Chicago (2018)
• Julia Porter Award for Outstanding Employee, Children’s Memorial Hospital (2005)
• University Scholar Fellowship, Northwestern University (1989)

Dr. Cicchetti holds influential policy roles including the Healing Centered Illinois Task Force (2025) and Chicago Council for Mental Health Equity (2025), translating research into statewide initiatives. Her leadership in the Center for Childhood Resilience drives nationwide implementation of evidence-based trauma practices through educator training and system-level partnerships.

She actively shapes national discourse as UNICEF USA Expert Advisor and Scientific Advisory Board Member for The Melissa Institute for Violence Prevention, with recent service on Illinois' Whole Child Task Force (2021-2022) advancing developmental approaches to children's mental health.