Karen Lawrence
Associate Professor
Areas of Expertise
- SW786 Doctoral Research Practicum
- SW780 Independent Work (Graduate)
- SW780 Guided Independent Work: Military and Veteran Populations
- SW770 Doctoral Research Methods I
- SW750 Research Methods in Social Work
Highlighted Publications
- Lawrence KA, Speaks HR, Abner EL, Schmitt FA, Vasterling JJ, Smith BN, & Segerstrom SC. (2025). Lifetime posttraumatic stress disorder and longitudinal cognitive decline: A cognitive aging framework in the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center Uniform Data Set. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 38(4), 646-658. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.23165
- Lawrence KA, Gloger EM, Pinheiro CN, Schmitt FA, & Segerstrom SC. (2024). Associations between IL-1β, IL-6, and TNFα polymorphisms and longitudinal trajectories of cognitive function in non-demented older adults. Brain, Behavior, & Immunity-Health, 39, 100816. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbih.2024.100816
- Lawrence KA, Rippey CS, Welikson B, Pietrzak R, & Adams TG. (2023). The Interactive Effects of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Apolipoprotein ε4 and Age on Cognitive Functioning in U.S. Military Veterans: Results from the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 38(2), e5888. https://doi.org/10.1002/gps.5888
Alma Mater
Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Brown School of Social Work, Washington University in St. Louis
Get to Know Karen
Dr. Lawrence has an interdisciplinary background in neuroscience, clinical social work, and mental health services research. Her doctoral research (Neurosciences Program, Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine [NRSA; T32EY13360]) focused on gene regulatory mechanisms underlying the development, maintenance, and evolution of retinal photoreceptors. After completing her PhD in neuroscience, she redirected her career to help trauma survivors and obtained a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree with a concentration in mental health (Brown School of Social Work, Washington University). Subsequently, she completed postdoctoral training in mental health services research, focusing on mental health outcomes (Center for Mental Health Services Research, Washington University [NRSA; T32MH19960]). As an Assistant Professor at the University of Kentucky, she continued building her research program focused on mental health and psychosocial functioning among trauma survivors. As a Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health (BIRCWH) Scholar from 2019 to 2021, Dr. Lawrence conducted secondary-data studies using longitudinal data from the National Center for PTSD to investigate sex differences and sex-specific mental health and psychosocial functioning outcomes in recently returned military veterans.
Currently, as an awardee of a mentored research scientist development award [K01AG070279], Dr. Lawrence is investigating associations between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology and cognitive aging in community-dwelling older adults, using sex as a biological variable. As an independent investigator, she seeks to uncover the effects of traumatic stress and biopsychosocial risk and protective factors on cognitive aging and chronic disease risk, with a sex-specific focus.