Elizabeth Trejos-Castillo

Dr. Elizabeth Trejos-Castillo is the C.R. Hutcheson Endowed Professor of Human Development & Family Sciences at Texas Tech University. She also serves as an International Adjunct Professor at the State University of Ponta Grossa (Paraná-Brazil) and in the Departments of Psychology and Medicine, Biostatistics, and Epidemiology at CES University (Medellín-Colombia). Her research focuses on adolescent development, toxic stress, trauma, and resilience, particularly among ethnic/racial minorities and vulnerable youth through cross-cultural comparative frameworks.

• Key Research Areas:
  • Cross-Cultural Youth Development
  • Toxic Stress and Trauma in Adolescents
  • Resilience and Mental Health
  • Positive Youth Development Models
  • Substance Use and Risk Behaviors
  • Comparative Juvenile Justice Systems

Scientific Contributions: She has published extensively on topics including foster youth well-being, multisystem youth health, and trauma's cognitive impacts. Her work spans diverse regions such as Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Honduras, and India, with notable publications like the Handbook of Foster Youth (2018) and Youth: Practices, Perspectives and Challenges (2013).

• Scientific Awards:
  • Fulbright Fellow 2018 (Brazil)