Michelle Brown

Michelle Brown is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of South Carolina's McCausland College of Arts and Sciences. She holds a Ph.D. in Child Psychology from the University of Minnesota and completed postdoctoral training at Penn State Hershey Medical Center.

Her research employs developmental psychopathology frameworks to understand how interpersonal relationships influence outcomes for victimized youth, with particular focus on: 1) Friendship impacts on maltreated adolescents' psychopathology risk, 2) Biopsychosocial factors affecting trauma therapy outcomes, and 3) Trauma from adverse police interactions in Black youth. Her work incorporates multi-method approaches including psychophysiological measures.

Recent publications demonstrate strong focus on trauma intervention efficacy, developmental pathways from childhood maltreatment, and ethnic disparities in neuropathic outcomes. Her NIH-funded research program examines friendship dynamics in high-risk adolescent populations.

Brown has received significant recognition including the NICHD Pathway to Independence Award and APA's Early Career Award in Trauma Psychology. She directs the STARR Lab and mentors doctoral students in clinical-community psychology.