Heidi Ellis

Heidi Ellis, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and Boston Children's Hospital, where she serves as Director of the Trauma and Community Resilience Center. She is a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in trauma exposure, violence prevention, and community resilience among refugee and immigrant youth.

Her research focuses on developmental pathways related to trauma, violence exposure, and social context, with over 15 years of Community Based Participatory Research with Somali youth. She developed the Trauma Systems Therapy model and directs the Massachusetts Area Prevention Framework for preventing adolescent targeted violence. Her work bridges clinical practice, community engagement, and policy development.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals consistent focus on longitudinal refugee mental health studies, particularly examining discrimination impacts, community violence pathways, and innovative frameworks for repatriating children from conflict zones. Her research demonstrates strong integration of cultural context with trauma theory across diverse refugee populations including Somali, Bhutanese, and ISIS-affected youth.

Dr. Ellis actively engages in capacity building for trauma-informed approaches to child repatriation and reintegration. Her leadership extends to multidisciplinary team development and national network participation through the National Child Traumatic Stress Network.