Lisa M. Brown, Ph.D., ABPP, is a Professor and the Director of the Trauma Program at Palo Alto University and an Adjunct Clinical Professor, Stanford University School of Medicine. She is a licensed clinical psychologist who is boarded in geropsychology. Prior faculty positions have been in the School of Aging Studies, the University of South Florida, and the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital, Tampa, Florida. She is the former President of Division 20, Adult Development and Aging, American Psychological Association (2020-2021), and the founder of the Disasters and Older Adults Special Interest Group, Gerontological Society of America.
Her clinical and research focus is on trauma, resilience, and aging. Her research has explored the use of social marketing to enhance messaging and increase appropriate use of disaster services during the recovery phase; evaluated state models for regulatory responsibility for disaster preparedness, response, and recovery; and examined the use of behavioral health services after disasters. She has authored more than 150 journal articles and book chapters and served as a co-editor of the
Psychology of Terrorism (2007), Oxford University Press. She recently co-authored the
Trauma-Informed Care Guidebook for Implementation of Trauma-Informed Best Practices for International Criminal Investigations Conducted by the United Nations (2021). Dr. Brown’s research experiences and collaborative relationships with first responder groups and long-term care organizations led to the development of the Psychological First Aid Field Guide for Nursing Home Residents.
During the past two decades, Dr. Brown has served on numerous state, national, and international boards, committees, and commissions. She served as the Assistant Clinical Director of Disaster Behavioral Health Services, Florida Department of Health, and has conducted program evaluations of the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) crisis counseling programs. Dr. Brown also served on the Disaster Mental Health Subcommittee of the National Biodefense Science Board Federal Advisory Committee and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Coronavirus Commission on Safety and Quality.
Dr. Brown is a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America and American Psychological Association Division 20. She is the recipient of two Fulbright Specialist awards with the University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica (2014) and Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand (2015). Dr. Brown is the proud mother of four children, an avid gardener, an outdoor enthusiast, and a curious traveler.
