Director

Christal L. Badour, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Psychology
Co-founder and Director of Education & Training
University of Kentucky Clinic for Emotional Health (CEH)
Office Phone: (859) 323-3817
Email: christal.badour@uky.edu
Google Scholar | C.V.

Dr. Badour is the director of the Stress, Trauma and Recovery Research Collaborative (STARRC), one of two complementary research programs housed within the University of Kentucky Clinic for Emotional Health (CEH). Dr. Badour is Co-Founder and Director of Education & Training at the CEH and is an Associate Professor in the Clinical Psychology program in the University of Kentucky Department of Psychology. Dr. Badour received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Arkansas in 2014. She completed her clinical internship in the traumatic stress track of the Charleston Consortium internship program and completed an NIMH-funded postdoctoral fellowship at the National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center at the Medical University of South Carolina. Dr. Badour's research focuses on understanding the development, maintenance, and treatment of psychopathology following traumatic experiences. Here work falls into three domains: 1) understanding the role of affective expression and regulation in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with a particular emphasis on moral emotions such as disgust, shame, and guilt; 2) identifying specific mediators and moderators of treatment change in order to enhance existing interventions and to guide development of new targeted interventions aimed at improving outcomes for patients with trauma-related psychopathology; and 3) understanding the individual-, interpersonal-, community-, and societal-level factors that maintain and perpetuate health disparities for people exposed to trauma in order to increase health equity.  Although she is interested in trauma broadly, much of her work has been conducted in populations with histories of interpersonal trauma (i.e., sexual and physical assault and abuse) and combat exposure. 

Graduate Students 

Jesse McCann, M.S.
6th year graduate student
Predoctoral Intern, VA Maryland Health Care System (VAMHCS)
Email: jmccann@uky.edu 

Jesse graduated from the University of Delaware in 2018 with a B.S. in psychology and a minor in Spanish. His undergraduate honors thesis examined the interaction between rejection and depressive symptoms in predicting salivary cortisol. After graduating, Jesse served as a research assistant at the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety at the University of Pennsylvania for two years before joining the doctoral program at the University of Kentucky. Jesse's research interests focus on mechanisms of change across treatment for PTSD with the aim of optimizing existing interventions and developing new treatments that target these mechanisms. He is also interested in examining the effectiveness of evidence-based practices for PTSD in naturalistic samples. 

Christopher Penn, M.S. 
6th year graduate student
Email: christopher.penn@uky.edu 

Christopher graduated from Seattle University in 2019 with a B.A. in psychology. After graduating, Christopher served as a research assistant at the Center for Suicide Prevention and Recovery at the University of Washington. He joined the doctoral program in clinical psychology at the University of Kentucky in the Fall of 2020. Christopher's research interests include clinical outcomes related to PTSD and the long-term health consequences of traumatic experiences, substance use disorders, and addressing disparities in health outcomes for vulnerable populations.
 

Grace Seymour, B.S.
3rd year graduate student
Email: grace.seymour@uky.edu 

Grace graduated from the University of Michigan in 2021 with a B.S. in psychology and neuroscience. After graduating, she worked as a research assistant for the Henry Ford Sleep Disorders and Research Center in a Detroit, MI intensive care unit for two years, where she became interested in studying risk and protective factors for PTSD, sleep disturbances (e.g., insomnia and nightmares), and substance use in individuals who have experienced trauma. She joined the doctoral program at the University of Kentucky in 2023, and has since become particularly interested in studying these issues in the Appalachian region, taking into account the unique challenges like health disparities, poverty, and lack of resources that many individuals face in the region. In her personal and professional life, Grace is especially interested in sexual violence research, advocacy, prevention, and education.

Zach Siegel, B.A.
1st year graduate student
Email: zach.siegel@uky.edu 

Zach graduated from the University of Kentucky in 2024 with a B.A. in Psychology. His undergraduate honors thesis examined the interactive effects of adverse childhood experiences between socioeconomic status and substance use-related coping methods. After graduating, Zach served as a research assistant at the National Center for PTSD in Boston for one year before joining the doctoral program at the University of Kentucky in 2025. Zach's research interests focus on the testing and development of treatments to promote post-traumatic growth and reduce symptoms of psychopathologies associated with trauma, such as PTSD. Zach is also interested in better understanding how post-traumatic growth is impacted by individual-level factors such as substance use, community support, and spirituality.

Current Undergraduate Students & Other Research Staff

Ella Bean

Deb Pena 

Ellie Quinkert

STARRC Alumni

• C. Alex Brake, PhD - Psychologist, Rhode Island Hospital; Clinical Assistant Professor, Brown University 
• Jessica Flores, PhD - Staff Psychologist, VA Tampa Healthcare System
• Caitlyn Hood, PhD - Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Kentucky 
• Alyssa Jones, PhD - Staff Psychologist, Ralph H. Johnson Veterans Affairs Medical Center
• Jordyn Tipsword, PhD - T32 Postdoctoral Fellow, Medical University of South Carolina
   
• Sophia Alvarran - Master of Social Work Student, University of Kentucky
• Kaitlin Bales, MSW, CSW - Social Worker, The Ridge Behavioral Health
• Rose Barczak, - Undergraduate Student, University of Kentucky
• Melanie Berexa - English Language Assistant at Meddeas
• Tessa Blevins - Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Student, The Ohio State University
• Mya Bowen - Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Student, University of Memphis
• Cameron Daniel - Medical School Student, University of Kentucky
• Ashley Dixon - Research Coordinator, Medical University of South Carolina
• Kortni Dubose - School Psychology Ph.D. Student, University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Ashlee Flora - School Psychology Ed.S. Student, Miami University
• Andrea George - Undergraduate Student, University of Georgia
• Jordan Gibbs-Francis - Counseling Psychology/Applied Behavioral Analysis MA Student, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology
• Alec Gibson - Law Student, University of Kentucky
• Audra Goodley - Linkage to Care Specialist, Matthew 25 AIDS Services
• Abby Grieff - Master of Social Work Student, The Ohio State University
• Harry Hazelwood - Master of Social Work Student, Cambelsville University
• Mary Hazlett - Personal trainer and Master of Business Administration Student, Purdue University Global
• Madeline Howell - Law Student, University of Dayton
• Emma King
• Michelle Martinez-Varon - Undergraduate Student, University of Kentucky
• Diana Ishimwe - Peace Corps Volunteer, Benin
• Jenna Jodts - Research Assistant at the Center on Trauma and Children, University of Kentucky
• Harper Jones - Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Student, University of Nebraska
• Abbey Loar - MS student, Clinical Professional Counseling, Loyola University Maryland
• Eiley McDonald, - Undergraduate Student, University of Kentucky
• Andie MacDonald - Master of Social Work Student, University of Cincinnati
• Ashley McGar - Research Assistant in the Department of Pediatrics, University of Kentucky
• Gaby Mendez - Undergraduate Student, University of Kentucky
• Ne'Shell Neal - Director of Community Service, Underground Perspective
• Ashley Newberry - Mental Health Technician, The Ridge Behavioral Health
• Roberto Obregon Garcia - Clinical Research Coordinator, Massachusetts General Hosital
• Madison Ray - Forensic and Legal Psychology MA student, Roger Williams University
• Gabe Rupe - Master of Social Work Student, Radford University 
• Hannah Sonnier, MS, LSW - DBT Therapist, The Ebright Collaborative, LLC
• Alira Vargas Ortiz - Masters Student, Hispanic Studies, University of Kentucky
• Georgie Wolbert - Business Development Specialist, REnew Media Group
• Zach Siegel - Research Assistant, National Center for PTSD, Behavioral Science Division
• Ally Bailey
• Haley Ellis
• Haley Farris
• Jonathon Gettelfinger
• Sarah Hayden
• Corey Hildebrant
• Abby Hillman
• Madison Isaacs
• Stephanie Lim
• Nicole Milazzo
• Katy Vogt
• Greg Watts
• Summer Williams

2024/2025 STARRC LAB GRADUATION

2024 ISTSS CONFERENCE

2022/2023 STARRC LAB GRADUATION

2021/2022 STARRC LAB GRADUATION
Missing: Christopher Penn

2020/2021 STARRC LAB GRADUATION
Missing: Christopher Penn

2018/2019 STARRC LAB RETREAT

2017/2018 STARRC LAB RETREAT

2016/2017 STARRC LAB RETREAT