معرفی
Jessica Fales, PhD is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at Washington State University Vancouver campus. She leads the Adolescent Health & Wellness Lab, conducting high-impact research on pediatric pain, social development, and adolescent health and well-being. Dr. Fales teaches multiple undergraduate courses including Psychology of Aging, Developmental Psychology, Clinical/Community Psychology, and Behavior Disorders of Children and Adolescents. She is currently accepting graduate student applications for Fall 2025 admission to the Experimental Psychology PhD Program.
Dr. Fales received her doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Maine in 2012. She completed her clinical internship in child-clinical/pediatric psychology at Oregon Health & Sciences University and a two-year post-doctoral fellowship at Seattle Children's Research Institute. Her educational background reflects a strong foundation in both clinical practice and research methodology specific to pediatric populations.
Dr. Fales's primary research focuses on psychosocial risk and protective factors for youth with chronic pain, individual and family-based cognitive-behavioral interventions for pain, and the impact of persistent pain on social development and functioning in adolescence. She also conducts significant research on health factors related to cannabis use in adolescent and young adult populations. Her work examines how parental and peer interaction factors predict youth's pain characteristics, disability, and psychosocial outcomes. She has developed a particular expertise in understanding how peer victimization and daily interpersonal stressors affect adolescents with chronic pain.
Analysis of Dr. Fales's recent publications (2021-2025) reveals a consistent focus on the intersection of chronic pain, social development, and adolescent health. Her research increasingly incorporates longitudinal methodologies and examines nuanced factors like gender differences, trauma history, and social support systems. Recent work shows expanding interest in cannabis as a pain management strategy among youth, self-compassion approaches, and the complex relationship between adverse childhood experiences and chronic pain outcomes. Her research maintains a strong clinical translation focus, aiming to inform practical interventions for youth with chronic pain and their families.
- American Pain Society's Future Leaders in Pain Research award (2013)
Dr. Fales has successfully mentored numerous undergraduate students who have gone on to master's and doctoral programs in psychology and related fields. Her research assistants have received over $13,000 in university grant support to conduct independent research and present at national conferences. Her lab has been supported by multiple funding sources including the Society of Pediatric Psychology, the American Pain Society, the National Institutes of Health, and Washington State University's New Faculty and Grand Challenges seed grants. Dr. Fales actively collaborates with researchers at institutions including Seattle Children's Research Institute and has contributed to multi-site clinical trials.
Dr. Fales directs the Adolescent Health & Wellness Lab at WSU Vancouver, which focuses on identifying social risk and protective factors associated with chronic pain in adolescence. The lab team includes undergraduate research assistants, graduate students, and research coordinators who work together on multiple ongoing projects. Current research efforts examine peer victimization, cannabis use patterns, social anxiety, and the impact of adverse childhood experiences on pain outcomes in youth. The lab maintains strong connections with clinical settings to ensure research has direct relevance to clinical practice.
