Dr. Katie McLaughlin

Dr. McLaughlin’s work has transformed understanding of how early adversity impacts brain development, guiding interventions to prevent psychopathology.

Dr. Katie McLaughlin is a clinical psychologist whose research explores how adverse environmental experiences—such as stress, trauma, and social disadvantage—shape brain, emotional, and cognitive development in children and adolescents. She holds a joint Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and Chronic Disease Epidemiology from Yale and aims to uncover the mechanisms linking early adversity to later psychopathology, with the goal of informing prevention and intervention strategies. Dr. McLaughlin’s work has been widely funded by major institutions including the NIH and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and she has received numerous early career honors, including the APA’s Distinguished Scientific Award for Early Career Contribution to Psychology.