PUBLICATIONS
22. EMPLOYMENT AND FAMILY INCOME IN PSYCHOLOGICAL AND IMMUNE OUTCOMES DURING BEREAVEMENT
Paoletti, J., Chen, M. A., Wu-Chung, E. L., Brown, R. L., LeRoy, A. S., Murdock, K. W., Heijnen, C. J. & Fagundes, C. P. (2023). Employment status and family income in psychological and physical health during bereavement. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 150, 10624.
21. LEXICAL MARKERS OF COGNITIVE REAPPRAISAL, BEREAVEMENT, AND
PROINFLAMMATORY CYTOKINE PRODUCTION
Highlighted as outstanding, noteworthy, and impactful for the field by the American Psychological Association
Shahane, A., Brown, R.L., Denny, B., & Fagundes, C.P. (2022). Lexical markers of cognitive reappraisal underlying the association between bereavement and cardiovascular disease. Health Psychology, 42(1), 24-32.
20. EMOTION REGULATION, PARASYMPATHETIC FUNCTION, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING
Author's explanation video coming soon!
Brown, R.L., Chen, M.A., Paoletti, J., Dicker, E.E., Wu-Chung, E.L., LeRoy, A.S., Majd, M., Suchting, R., Thayer, J.F., & Fagundes, CP (2022). Emotion Regulation, Parasympathetic Function, and Psychological Well-Being. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 1-11.
19. GRIEF SYMPTOMS PROMOTE INFLAMMATION DURING ACUTE STRESS AMONG BEREAVED SPOUSES
Watch the author's explanation on YouTube!
Received APS Albert Bandura Graduate Research Award for the most outstanding graduate, empirical research paper
Brown, R.L., LeRoy, A.S., Chen, M.A., Suchting, R., Jaremka, L.M., Liu, J., Heijnen, C.J., & Fagundes, C. P. (2022). Grief symptoms promote inflammation during acute stress among bereaved spouses. Psychological Science, 33(6), 859-873.
18. CHILDHOOD MALTREATMENT, SUBJECTIVE SOCIAL STATUS, AND HEALTH DISPARITIES IN BEREAVEMENT
Chen, M. A., Brown, R. L., Chen, J. Y., de Dios, M. A., Green, C. E., Heijnen, C. J., & Fagundes, C.P. (2022). Childhood maltreatment, subjective socioeconomic status, and health disparities in bereavement. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 135, 105595.
17. IMMUNE AND EPIGENETIC PATHWAYS LINKING CHILDHOOD ADVERSITY AND HEALTH ACROSS THE LIFESPAN.
Chen, M. A., LeRoy, A. S., Majd, M., Chen, J. Y., Brown, R. L., Christian, L. M., & Fagundes, C. P. (2021). Immune and epigenetic pathways linking childhood adversity and health across the lifespan. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 788351.
16. LONGITUDINAL CHANGES IN HRV ACROSS PREGNANCY AND POSTPARTUM: EFFECT OF NEGATIVE PARTNER RELATIONSHIP QUALITIES.
Brown, R.L., Fagundes, C. P., Thayer, J.F., & Christian, L.M. (2021). Longitudinal Changes in HRV across Pregnancy and Postpartum: Effect of Negative Partner Relationship Qualities. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 129, 105216.
15. SOCIOECONOMIC DISPARITIES IN HEALTH: CHANGES IN SLEEP QUALITY AND INFLAMMATION DURING BEREAVEMENT
Wu, E.L., Brown, R.L., Chirinos, D.A., Chen, M.A., de Dios, M., Taylor, D.M., Butner, J.E., Heijnen, C.J., Fagundes, C.P. (2021). Socioeconomic Disparities in Health: Changes in Sleep Quality and Inflammation During Bereavement. Comprehensive Psychoneuroendocrinology, 7, 100056.
14. ANYTHING HE CAN DO, SHE CAN DO BETTER: CHILDREN’S ATTITUDES ABOUT GENDER AND OCCUPATIONS
Brown, R., & Weinberger, N. (2021). Anything He Can Do, She Can Do Better: Children’s Attitudes About Gender and Occupations. Psi Chi Journal of Psychological Research, 26(1), 2–13.
13. CHRONIC PAIN AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS AMONG UNDOCUMENTED LATINX IMMIGRANTS IN THE USA
Garcini, L. M., Brown, R. L., Ziaudden, K., Chen, M. A., & Fagundes, C. P. (2021). Chronic Pain and Psychological Distress among Undocumented Latinx Immigrants in the United States. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 36(3), 585-591.
12. RELATIONSHIP SATISFACTION DETERMINES THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN EPSTEIN BARR VIRUS (EBV) LATENCY AND SOMATIC SYMPTOMS AFTER THE LOSS OF A SPOUSE.
LeRoy, A. S., Petit, W., Brown, R., Murdock, K., Stowe, R. P., Garcini, L., & Fagundes, C. P. (2020). Relationship satisfaction determines the association between Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) latency and somatic symptoms after the loss of a spouse. Personal Relationships, 1-22.
11. COFFEE AND CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY: NOT AS SIMPLE AS REVITALIZING ANTI-SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND RACIAL DISCRIMINATION TRAINING.
*Burrows, D., *Phetmisy, C. N., Watson, I., Brown, R. L., & Beier, M. E. (2020). Coffee and corporate social responsibility: Not as simple as revitalizing anti-sexual harassment and racial discrimination training. Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 13, 216-218.
10. COGNITIVE REAPPRAISAL AND NASAL CYTOKINE PRODUCTION FOLLOWING EXPERIMENTAL RHINOVIRUS INFECTION
Brown, R. L., Shahane, A.D., Chen, M. A., & Fagundes, C.P. (2020). Cognitive reappraisal and nasal cytokine production following experimental rhinovirus infection. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity – Health, 1, 100012.
9. “ABRAZAME QUE AYUDA” [HUG ME, IT HELPS]: SOCIAL SUPPORT AND THE EFFECT OF PERCEIVED DISCRIMINATION ON DEPRESSION AMONG U.S. AND FOREIGN-BORN LATINXS IN THE UNITED STATES.
Garcini, L. M., Chen, M. A., Brown, R. L., LeRoy, A.S., Cano, M.A., Peek, K. & Fagundes, C. P. (2019). “Abrazame Que Ayuda” [Hug Me, It Helps]: Social support and the effect of perceived discrimination on depression among U.S. and foreign-born Latinxs in the United States. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, 7(3), 481-487.
8. EMOTION REGULATION AND IMMUNE FUNCTIONING DURING GRIEF
TESTING THE ROLE OF EXPRESSIVE SUPPRESSION AND COGNITIVE REAPPRAISAL IN INFLAMMATION AMONG RECENTLY BEREAVED SPOUSES
Lopez, R. B.,* Brown, R. L.,* Wu, E. L.,* Murdock, K. W., Denny, B. T., Heijnen, C., & Fagundes, C. P. (2019). Emotion regulation and immune functioning during grief: testing the role of expressive suppression and cognitive reappraisal in inflammation among recently bereaved spouses. Psychosomatic Medicine, 82(1), 2-9.
7. BEREAVEMENT AMONG WIDOWED LATINOS IN THE UNITED STATES: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF METHODOLOGY AND FINDINGS
Garcini, L. M., Brown, R. L., Chen, M. A., Saucedo, L., Fite, A., Forger, L., Pearly, Y., Ziauddin, K., & Fagundes, C. P. (2019). Bereavement among widowed Latinos in the United States: A systematic review of methodology and findings. Death Studies, 41(5), 342-353.
6. MILES OVER MIND: TRANSNATIONAL DEATH AND ITS ASSOCIATION WITH PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS AMONG UNDOCUMENTED MEXICAN IMMIGRANTS.
Garcini, L. M., Galvan, T., Brown, R., Chen, M. A., & Fagundes, C. (2019). “Miles over mind:” The association of death abroad and psychological distress among undocumented Mexican immigrants. Death Studies, 44(6), 1-9.
5. GRIEF, DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS, AND INFLAMMATION IN THE SPOUSALLY BEREAVED
Fagundes, C. P., Brown, R. L., Chen, M. A., Murdock, K. W., Saucedo, L., LeRoy, A., … Heijnen, C. (2019). Grief, depressive symptoms, and inflammation in the spousally bereaved. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 100, 190–197.
4. KICKS HURT LESS: DISCRIMINATION PREDICTS DISTRESS BEYOND TRAUMA AMONG UNDOCUMENTED MEXICAN IMMIGRANTS
Garcini, L. M., Chen, M.A., Brown, R. L., Galvan, T., Saucedo, L., Berger Cardoso, J.A., & Fagundes, C. P. (2018). Kicks hurt less: Discrimination predicts distress beyond trauma among undocumented immigrants. Psychology of Violence, 8(6), 692-701.
3. OBESITY, DIETARY FACTORS, NUTRITION, AND BREAST CANCER RISK.
Seiler, A., Chen, M. A., Brown, R., & Fagundes, C. P. (2018). Obesity, dietary factors, nutrition, and breast cancer risk. Current Breast Cancer Reports, 10(1), 14-27.
2. IMPROVING BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS’ PSYCHOLOGICAL OUTCOMES AND QUALITY OF LIFE: ALTERNATIVES TO TRADITIONAL PSYCHOTHERAPY
Leroy, A. S., Shields, A. S., Chen, M. A., Brown, R., & Fagundes, C. P. (2018). Improving Breast Cancer Survivors’ Psychological Outcomes and Quality of Life: Alternatives to Traditional Psychotherapy. Current Breast Cancer Reports, 10(1), 28-34.
1. HEALING SPACES FOR CHILDREN: CHILD LIFE SPECIALISTS’ EVALUATION OF HOSPITAL PLAYROOMS.
Weinberger, N., Butler, A., Schumacher, P., McGee, B., & Brown, R.L. (2017). Healing spaces for children: Child life specialists’ evaluation of hospital playrooms. Journal of Interior Design, 42(2), 71-91.
POSTERS & PRESENTATIONS
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EDUCATION
August 2017 - May 2022
PH.D. IN PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCES
In this program at Rice University, I was a dual-degree Ph.D. candidate in Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine + Industrial-Organizational Psychology. I worked with Dr. Christopher Fagundes in the Biobehavioral Mechanisms Explaining Disparities Lab where we used a psychoneuroimmunological approach to explore mechanisms linking stress and health in older adulthood.
August 2013- May 2017
B.A. IN APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY
At Bryant University, I studied Applied Psychology with minors in Business Administration, Economics, and Statistics. I was captain of the women's tennis team beginning in my sophomore year through my senior year. I worked as an undergraduate research assistant in both the Applied Psychology and Biology departments. I also analyzed and presented monetary policy recommendations as a part of a competition at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.