Dr. Silverstein's Trauma, Race/Ethnicity, and Education (TREE) lab investigates trauma sequelae, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on behavioral health, and mentorship of racial and/or ethnic minority undergraduate students. A major goal of the TREE lab is to include Loyola undergraduate and graduate research assistants at all steps of the research process so that they can hone their skills and pursue health/education-equity driven research careers of their own. 

Trauma sequelae: The lab is currently most interested in examining the psychometric properties of trauma-related assessment tools for people of color, as these tools can lack cultural relevancy. By improving these tools, researchers can have a more accurate picture of how trauma-related constructs manifest in diverse individuals, leading to more effective treatments and increased health equity. 

COVID-19 and behavioral health: The lab focuses on how existing disparities (e.g., physical and mental health, financial) have been exacerbated by the pandemic. The lab also focuses on how COVID-19-related bias, stigma, and discrimination (particularly xenophobic behavior) can be measured and intervened upon to improve health outcomes. 

Mentorship: The lab's research on mentorship of racial and/or ethnic minority undergraduate students focuses on the relationship between White mentors (i.e., faculty members) and Black mentees (i.e., undergraduate students). Using qualitative methods, we examine Black mentees' perceptions of the positive and negative traits of their mentors with the ultimate goal of designing a guide for White mentors to improve their mentorship skills.