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Keeping up with CREAR

Dr. Andrea Medrano

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Andrea S. Medrano Ph.D.

¡Bienvenidos! I’m Dr. Medrano, a developmental psychologist committed to examining how youth and women exposed to violence make sense of, survive, and resist trauma in their daily lives. I serve as Director of the CREAR Lab and Assistant Professor in the Developmental Psychology program at the University of Pittsburgh, with an affiliation in Clinical Psychology. Before coming to Pittsburgh, I received my Ph.D. in Social Work and Developmental Psychology from the University of Michigan, where I also earned an MSW and an MS in Psychology. I completed my BA in Psychology with a minor in Applied Psychology at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB).

My research focuses on poly-victimization, gender-based violence, and structural forms of inequality, with an emphasis on resilience processes such as familismo, hope, religiosity, and educational persistence. I lead international, community-engaged studies across Honduras, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Nicaragua, and the U.S., using mixed methods to ensure that voices and data inform our work. At the heart of everything I do is a deep commitment to ethical, trauma-informed research and mentoring. Through CREAR Lab, I support a powerhouse team of undergraduate, post-bacc, and graduate students—mostly women and scholars of color—who are just as passionate about equity-driven research as I am. Together, we are building knowledge that is transformative for communities. Our motto says it all: Resilience in Research. Strength in Community.

When I’m not writing, teaching, or in the field, you can usually find me spending time with my three boys (15-year-old twin boys and a 3-year-old toddler!), cooking, or enjoying a Netflix series.

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My Research

My program of research examines how violence and structural adversity shape academic and psychological functioning across the lifespan, with a particular focus on Latina/o/x youth and families. I explore contextual factors such as exposure to community violence, sexual harassment, and neighborhood disinvestment, and how these intersect with individual and cultural resilience to influence developmental outcomes. Grounded in a resilience framework and strengths-based perspective, my work identifies protective factors at the individual, family, neighborhood, and cultural levels—such as familismo, hope, parent-adolescent relationships, religiosity, and academic engagement—that can buffer youth and adults from negative mental health and educational outcomes. Increasingly, my research also focuses on the intersection of multiple marginalized identities, examining how race/ethnicity, gender, class, and rurality shape experiences of trauma and healing.

  • My studies span developmental stages—from early adolescence to older adulthood (ages 11 to 65)—and are rooted in international, community-engaged work. I lead projects in:

  • Honduras

    Focusing on gender-based violence and post-traumatic growth (HAVE-HOPE)

  • Mexico

    Exploring academic socialization, community violence, dating violence, sexual harassment, and rural and urban mental health (Fortaleza Mexicana, MAPI Study, Proyecto VENCER)

  • Puerto Rico

    Examining emerging adult recovery and identity development in the context of interpersonal and structural violence (STAR*PR, PRIDE)

  • Nicaragua (Forthcoming)

    Centering Afro-descendant and Indigenous women’s empowerment in the aftermath of gender-based violence

  • Urban U.S. settings

    Where I investigate community violence, sexual harassment, school belonging, and mental health among Latina/o adolescents.



Methodologically, I use diverse and inclusive approaches, including cross-sectional and longitudinal statistical analyses, qualitative interviews and focus groups, and mixed methods designs. This multi-pronged approach ensures my work reflects both the measurable trends and lived realities of those most impacted by violence. At its core, my research is deeply collaborative and trauma-informed, aiming to inform equitable policy and practice while amplifying community strengths. I believe research can—and should—be both rigorous and transformative.

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  • Publications

    ^Indicates co-first authorship; *Indicates Undergraduate or Post-Bacc student, +Graduate Student Mentee
    Peer Reviewed Publications

    • Medrano, A. S., & Ceballo, R. (2025). Neighborhood violence, parent–child cohesion, and psychological outcomes in Latinx adolescents: A longitudinal moderation analysis. Psychology of Violence. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/vio0000604

      +Ganu, D., Starks, B., +Davila, S. A., & Medrano, A. S. (in press). Campus climate and the mental health of college student caregivers: The mediating role of group belonging. Journal of College of Student Development.

      Cross, F. L., Hoffman, A. J., Medrano, A. S., Medina, M. A., Esqueda, A. P., & Rivas-Drake, D. (in press). Fostering futures: Academic socialization and perceived educational utility among Latinx parent-adolescent dyads. Journal of Latinx Psychology.

      *Davila, S. A., *Martinez, A., & Medrano, A. S. (2025). Navigating familial and economic stressors: Examining resilience and cohesion as protective factors for rural Mexican adolescents. Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/cdp0000754

      Sabina, C., Mariscal, S. E., Weber, M., Medrano, A. S., Flores, Y., Agorde, E., Elliot, J. M., Gonzalez, V. V., & Restrepo-Ruiz, M. (2025). Factors enhancing resilience among youth exposed to macro-level violence in Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 26(2), 265–282. https://doi.org/10.1177/15248/1358204283481032049130795375

      Medrano, A. S., +Davila, S. A., +Labrousse, D., *Adame Montelongo, E. S., & Williams, E.-D. G. (2025). Disentangling machismo and caballerismo: Mental health help-seeking in rural Mexico. Journal of Rural Mental Health. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/rmh0000291

      ^Garcia, Y., ^Medrano, A. S., & Woods, V. (2024). Perceived stigma, mental health, and campus support among Latina/o and White college students. Journal of American College Health, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2024.2428408

      Kia-Keating, M., Santacrose, D., Adams, J., Harms, M., Taghavi, I., Liu, S., & Mora, A. (2024). Equitable prevention science and participatory co-design of the HEROES strength-based programs. Journal of Prevention and Health Promotion, 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1177/26320770241246672

      Mora, A. S., Gutiérrez, L. M., & Ceballo, R. (2024). The role of parent-adolescent communication among youth exposed to neighborhood violence in rural Mexico. Families in Society, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1177/10443894231222942

      Krings, A., Mora, A. S., *Bechara, S., Sánchez, C., Gutiérrez, L. M., Hawkins, J., & Austic, E. (in press). How early social work faculty experienced support in their doctoral programs. Journal of Social Work Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2023.2279789

      Mora, A. S., *LoDuca, K. M., & Ceballo, R. (2023). Adolescents in the community: Extracurricular activities and sexual harassment. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 52, 1788–1798. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-023-01812-8

      Mora, A. S., Muñoz-Velázquez, J., Alers-Rojas, F., Ceballo, R., & Cranford, J. (2023). Understanding Latino adolescents’ experiences with discrimination: An intersectional approach. Journal of Latinx Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/lat0000234

      Mora, A. S., *Greer, C. D., *Hunter, J., & Gutierrez, L. (2022). Social work faculty attitudes towards diversity and oppression content in the MSW curricula. Social Work Education, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2022.2130233

      Ceballo, R., Alers-Rojas, F., Mora, A. S., & Cranford, J. A. (2022). Exposure to community violence: Toward a more expansive definition and approach to research. Child Development Perspectives, 16(2), 96–102. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdep.12448

      Mora, A. S., Ceballo, R., & Cranford, J. (2022). Latino/a adolescents facing neighborhood dangers: An examination of community violence and gender-based harassment. American Journal of Community Psychology, 69(1–2), 18–32. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajcp.12556

      Ortega, R. M., Olawale, R. G., Mora, A. S., (2022). Charles D. Garvin: Social justice and social group work. Social Work with Groups, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1080/01609513.2022.2113247

      Gutierrez, L., Rodriguez-Newhall, A., Mora, A. S., Areguin, M. A., & Salazar, M. (2019). “Too many to count”: Experiences of microaggressions for Latinx students at a predominantly white institution in the age of Trump. Currents, 1(1), 50–63. http://dx.doi.org/10.3998/currents.17387731.0001.105

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