Dr. Andrea S. Medrano

Dr. Andrea Medrano

Director of CREAR Lab

Dr. Andrea S. Medrano is an Assistant Professor of Developmental Psychology at the University of Pittsburgh, with an affiliation in Clinical Psychology. Her research focuses on understanding how youth and women exposed to violence make sense of, survive, and resist trauma. Her areas of interest include polyvictimization, complicated grief, gender-based violence, and structural inequality. She applies mixed methods and strengths-based approaches including familismo, hope, religiosity, and educational persistence.

Leadership & Affiliations

  • Director, CREAR Lab (Community Research Exploring Adolescent Resilience)
  • Faculty Affiliate, Clinical Psychology Program at Pitt
  • PI, Fortaleza Mexicana, Proyecto VENCER, MAPI, and STAR*PR
  • Affiliated Faculty in Global Study Center and Center for Latin American Studies

Awards & Fellowships

  • Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellow

Selected Publications

Davila, S. A., Adame Montelongo, E. S., Labrousse, D., & Medrano, A. S. (2025). “Uno no puede solucionarlo por sí mismo”: Sociocultural influences on mental health and help-seeking attitudes among rural Mexican adults. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1177/00220221251387702 🔗

Leonard, A. F., Estrada, Y., Jakubowski, K., & Medrano, A. S. (2025). Two fronts of trauma: The differential effects of intimate partner violence and community violence on PTSD in rural Mexico. Journal of Interpersonal Violence. https://doi.org/10.1177/08862605251375422 🔗

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 Higher Education.

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. https://doi.org/10.1037/lat0000289 🔗

Medrano, A. S., Ortega, R., Cordova, D., & Gutierrez, L. (in press). Employing an empowerment approach with Latinx youth engaged in health risk behaviors. In R. Ceballo & D. Rivas-Drake (Eds.), Growing up Latinx in the land of liberty: Drawing on community and culture to face contextual challenges. Oxford University Press.

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. https://doi.org/10.1037/cdp0000754 🔗

Medrano, A. S., & Ceballo, R. (2025). Neighborhood violence, parent-child cohesion, and psychological outcomes in Latino adolescents: A longitudinal moderation analysis. Psychology of Violence. https://doi.org/10.1037/vio0000604 🔗

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, 49(3), 267–277. 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. 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. 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 🔗 • Awarded 2024 Best Quantitative Paper

Krings, A., Mora, A. S., Bechara, S., Sánchez, C., Gutiérrez, L. M., Hawkins, J., & Austic, E. (2024). How early social work faculty experienced support in their doctoral programs. Journal of Social Work Education, 60(2), 206–224. 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, 11(4), 306–321. 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/10.1080/02615479.2022.213023 🔗

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 🔗