Julie Cerel

Dr. Julie Cerel is a full Professor and Associate Dean for Research at the University of Kentucky College of Social Work, where she holds the Constance Wilson Endowed Professorship in Mental Health. A leading suicide prevention researcher with 124 publications and an h-index of 32, she directs multiple NIH-funded studies on suicide exposure epidemiology and bereavement.

Her research focuses on three interconnected domains:

• Quantifying population-level suicide exposure (famously debunking the 'six survivors' myth)
• Examining mental health impacts of suicide loss across relationship types
• Investigating suicide risk among marginalized populations including transgender individuals and agricultural workers

Dr. Cerel's publication trajectory shows accelerating impact, with 13 articles in 2024 including high-impact papers in JAMA Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine. Her work increasingly integrates behavioral economics frameworks with traditional suicide risk models, particularly examining personality profiles and decision-making processes.

Award highlights include:

• APA Fellow (2023)
• Norman Farberow Award for Bereavement Research (2025)
• University Research Professor distinction (2019)
• Honorary Doctorate in Sciences (2023)

She currently leads seven active grants totaling over $2 million annually, including an NIH R01 on longitudinal outcomes of suicide loss and Kentucky state funding for youth suicide prevention. Her mentorship approach integrates graduate students into active projects, with recent advisees publishing in top suicide research journals. International collaborations span Denmark, Australia, and Japan through comparative suicide epidemiology studies.

Dr. Cerel's research group operates at the intersection of clinical psychology and public health, with strong community engagement through Kentucky's BARN mental health program for farmers and school nurse suicide prevention training initiatives.