Laurel J. Kiser

Laurel J. Kiser, Ph.D., M.B.A., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and Principal Investigator of the Family Informed Trauma Treatment (FITT) Center. She holds a doctorate in psychology from Indiana University (1981) and an MBA from the University of Memphis (1986). Her work focuses on developing interventions for families affected by trauma and poverty, particularly in underserved communities. Dr. Kiser’s research emphasizes family-based therapies to address trauma exposure and mental health challenges among children and adolescents.

Dr. Kiser’s research interests include trauma-informed care, family resilience, and the intersection of poverty with psychological distress. She has led initiatives such as the Strengthening Family Coping Resources (SFCR) program and authored seminal works like Strengthening Family Coping Resources: Intervention for Families Impacted by Trauma (2015) and the second edition of Helping Traumatized Families (2013). Her work has been supported by grants from the National Institute of Mental Health and SAMHSA.

Her grants include the FITT Center (2007–2021), exploring trauma interventions, and a pilot study on physiological stress regulation in caregiver-child dyads (2015–2017). Dr. Kiser also contributed to a maternal mental health needs assessment in Baltimore (2013–2014) and a randomized trial of trauma treatment protocols (2012–2014).

Dr. Kiser’s clinical and research activities are anchored in the FITT Center and the School of Medicine, where she collaborates on translational science and community outreach initiatives to improve mental health outcomes for vulnerable populations.