Guest Researchers

Evaldas Kazlauskas

Guest researcher during the period: 15th of May 2018 - 29th of May 2018
From: Lithuania

Professor Evaldas Kazlauskas is the head of the Centre for Psychotraumatology at Vilnius University in Lithuania, where he researches the stress-related disorders: PTSD, complex PTSD and stress and adaptation reactions. In 2015, he organised the 14th European Trauma Conference for ESTSS. Evalda's research has centred on the effects of political repression in the Soviet era and resilience. He has made several overviews of Lithuanian trauma research - including studies on how rarely the PTSD diagnosis is used in Lithuania at all. He has shared much of his and others' research in Lithuanian with fellow psychologists. His clinical background is in psychiatry and he is involved in several treatment studies.
Evaldas has conducted some research with post-doc. Paulina Zelviene who visited the National Centre for Psychotrauamtology back in 2014. The National Centre for Psychotrauamtology and Evaldas have published a joint article on the development of adjustment disorders over time based on ICD-11.

Sarah Butter

Guest researcher during the period: 19th of February 2018 - 2nd of March 2018
From: Ireland

Sarah is based at Ulster University in Northern Ireland, where she completed her undergraduate and postgraduate degrees and is currently undertaking her PhD entitled: 'The continuum of negative self-evaluation: Evaluating psychopathological risk using nationally representative general population data'. Her PhD thesis is being written under the supervision of Professor Jamie Murphy and Professor Mark Shevlin and explores the relationship between negative self-evaluation (NSE) and psychopathology.
The project conceptualises NSE as a transdiagnostic factor, which in its most severe form includes suicidal ideation and self-harming behaviour. The project aims to examine the different typologies of NSE and suicidal ideation and behaviour, in order to determine which trauma histories carry the greatest risk of NSE. In particular, Sarah focuses on the relationship between psychotic experiences and NSE.

Nele Marie Wolf

Guest researcher during the period: October-December 2017
From: Germany

Nele is affiliated with the University of Cologne, which is located in the western part of Germany. She is in the final year of her master's degree and is writing her thesis on the topic: 'Child maltreatment and disordered eating', which is also a project she has worked on in connection with her visit to the Danish Center of Psychotraumatology.
During her time as a guest at the Danish Center of Psychotraumatology, she has also worked on 'Conceptualisation of attachment in the context of trauma research', as well as Sille Schandorph Løkkegaard's project on mothers who are stalked.
Nele's areas of interest within psychology are: Psychotraumatology, clinical psychology and psychotherapy. In the context of psychotraumatology, she is particularly interested in vulnerable children, attachment, shame and guilt.

Maria Luisa Martino

Guest researcher during the period: February-March 2017
From: Italy

In February and March 2017, post doc Maria Luisa Martino from the University of Naples was a visiting researcher at the National Centre for Psychotraumatology. Maria Luisa has a PhD in clinical psychology and her PhD thesis is about parents of children with leukaemia. The dissertation focuses on the parents' narrative processing of traumatic experiences and is entitled: 'Father and Mother of Children with Leukaemia - a narrative processing of traumatic experiences'.
Maria Luisa is currently the scientific coordinator of a STAR PROJECT on women affected by breast cancer called "IMPRONTE" - Breast Cancer Women: Innovative Model for Processing Traumatic Experience. The project is set to last two years and is sponsored by Federico II University, Naples, San Paolo National Company and Institute Banco di Napoli - Foundation.

Gadi Zerach

Guest researcher during the period: May-June 2016
From: Israel

Gadi Zerach is based at Ariel University in Israel. He is a clinical psychologist and faculty member, primarily specialising in PTSD among war veterans and their families.
Back in 2014 and 2015, Gadi collaborated with two of the National Centre for Psychotraumatology's former PhD students.
The collaboration was centred around two projects on complex PTSD and PTSD path analyses among former prisoners of war. In June 2017, he also published an article in collaboration with Professor Ask Elklit, entitled: "Polyvictimisation and Psychological Distress in Early Adolescence: A Mediation Model of Defense Mechanisms and Coping Styles".

Kennedy Amone-P'Olak

Guest researcher during the period:  November-December 2016
From: Botswana

Professor Amone-P'Olak is currently employed by the University of Botswana, where he is Head of the Department of Psychology. Originally from Northern Uganda, he has conducted a series of studies on former child soldiers kidnapped by the Lord Resistance Movement (the WAYS and the TRIAL's studies), which are unique in that they have managed to longitudinally study these highly traumatised individuals who are now young and struggling with many issues. Professor Amone-P'Olak has co-authored numerous publications and will soon publish the publications below in collaboration with Professor Ask Elklit from the National Centre for Psychotraumatology:

Amone-P'Olak, K., Dokkedahl, S. B., & Elklit, A. (2017). Post-traumatic Stress Disorder among child perpetrators and victims of violence from the Northern Uganda civil war: Findings from the WAYS study. Journal of Psychology in Africa, 27(3), 235-242.

Chen Yoke Yong

Guest researcher during the period: May-June 2016
From: Borneo

In May and June 2016, Chen Yoke Young visited the National Centre for Psychotraumatology where she worked on her PhD entitled: Trauma Exposure, PTSD Symptoms in Relation to Physical Health Among Young Adults Following Natural Disaster in Malaysia.
Chen holds a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Psychology and Psychological Methods from the University of Exeter, UK. She is currently affiliated with University Malaysia Sarawak, located in Borneo. Chen has published an article with Professor Siti Raudzah Ghazali, Professor Mohamed Ameenudeen Sultan and the National Centre for Psychotraumatology's Professor Ask Elklit entitled: Lifetime Trauma Exposure, Gender and DSM-5 PTSD Symptoms among Adolescents in Malaysia.

Paulo Alexandre da Silva Correia Ferrajão

Guest researcher during the period: November 2016
From: Portugal

Portuguese Paulo Alexandre da Silva Correia Ferrajão graduated from the University of Lisbon, where he completed his PhD thesis in 2016 with the title: 'From Physical Survival to Mental Survival: Psychic Functioning of Portuguese War Veterans.' The veterans of Portugal's colonial wars have been forgotten by the public. They represent a huge and human problem.
Paulo's professional interests include trauma and chronic pain and, since graduating as a psychologist in 1999, he has gained a lot of professional experience. He has taught, practised as a psychologist in private practice and worked in two different hospitals in Lisbon. In addition, he has had a number of publications on the psychosocial conditions of veterans. Paolo is currently Assistant Professor and affiliated with the University Europeia, Laureate International Universities of Lisbon.

Henry Oboke

Guest researcher during the period: September-November 2015
From: Uganda

Henry Oboke is currently affiliated with Gulu University in Uganda. The University of Southern Denmark and Gulu University have previously collaborated on a project on the consequences of the war in northern Uganda. You can read more about Henry Oboke and the project here.

Justine Kranenburg

Guest researcher during the period: February-June 2015.
From: The Netherlands 

In 2015, 24-year-old Justine Kranenburg worked at the National Centre for Psychotraumatology as a research assistant and Erasmus student from February to June. Justine recently graduated as a psychologist from Utrecht University in the Netherlands and is now pursuing her clinical training. During her time at the National Centre for Psychotraumatology, Justine worked on a project on rape victims and was active in the planning of the 15th ESTSS conference.

Paulina Zelviené

Guest researcher during the period: February-March 2014
From: Lithuania

Paulina visited the National Centre for Psychotraumatology in February and March 2014, where she worked with Evaldes Kazlauskas and Jonas Eimontas on the article: 'No posttraumatic stress disorder in Lithuania': National health care fails to identify PTSD. The article was published in early 2017 in the Journal of Traumatic Stress. Paulina has this year (2017) completed her PhD thesis entitled: The structure and risk factors of Adjustment Disorder in Lithuanian population.Paulina is currently affiliated with Vilnius University in Lithuania.

Yael Lahav

Guest researcher during the period: 2014 & 2015
From: Israel

The National Centre for Psychotraumatology has had the honour of Yael Lahav's visit in both 2014 and 2015, and her PhD thesis is entitled: Dissertation: Trauma of Captivity, Perceived Health and Attachment: A longitudinal study, and was written over a period of 5 years, from 2010 to 2015.
In 2016, Yael, in collaboration with Professor Ask Elklit, Karen-Inge Karstoft and Tonny Elmose, published the article: Attachment and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Multiple Trauma Samples.
Yael is currently affiliated with Tel Aviv University, Bob Shapell School of Social Work, Israel where she is working on attachment, pain and traumatisation. She wants to eventually develop a theory and treatment tactics that can help trauma patients better understand their pain and help alleviate it.

Drífa Björk Guðmundsdóttir

Guest researcher during the period: 2014 & 2017
From: Iceland

Drífa Björk Guðmundsdóttir completed her bachelor's degree in Iceland, but has since graduated from Aarhus University with a master's degree in clinical psychology. Drífa subsequently also completed her PhD with the title 'A study of risk and protective factors for the development of psychological distress and PTSD among Danish parents of chronically ill children' at Aarhus University from 2006 to 2009 with Ask Elklit as her supervisor.
She has subsequently worked as a psychologist at the child and adolescent psychiatric department in Kolding. Since July 2011, she has been affiliated with the paediatric department at the University Hospital in Reykjavik.
Drífa's professional focus is on families with chronically ill children, and she has collaborated with the National Centre for Psychotraumatology and Professor Ask Elklit for many years. Drífa has been a visiting researcher at University of Southern Denmark on two occasions, in 2014 and 2017. The collaboration has so far resulted in five publications.

Eugenia Romano

Guest researcher during the period: 2013
From: Great Britain

In 2013, the National Centre for Psychotrauamtology had the honour of hosting Italian Eugenia Romano for six months. Eugenia is a trained psychologist from the University of Pisa and after her stay with us in 2014-15 she worked at the University of Bristol. She is currently working on her PhD thesis at the University of Liverpool. Eugenia is co-author of the three articles below and, in addition to trauma, is interested in eating disorders and how they relate to the development of family relationships.

Ratzer, M., Romano, E. & Elklit, A. (2014). Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Patients Following Intensive Care Unit Treatment: A Review of Studies Regarding Prevalence and Risk Factors. Journal of Treatment and Trauma,3(2), 1-15. doi.org/10.4172/2167-1222.1000190

Haraldsdóttir, H., Gudmundsdóttir, D., Romano, E., Pordardóttir, E., Gudmundsdóttir, B. & Elklit, A. (2014). Volunteers and Professional Rescue Workers - Traumatization and Adaptation after an Avalanche Disaster in an Isolated Community. Journal of Emergency Management, 12(6), 457-66. Doi: 10.5055/jem.2014.0209.

Rachel Dekel

Guest researcher during the period: August 2013
From: Israel

In August 2013, Professor Rachel Dekel was a guest of the National Centre for Psychotraumatology. Rachel is currently affiliated with Bar-I-Lan University in Israel and is also a member of The Israeli Excellence Centre (I-CORE) of mass trauma. In the years 2012-2016 she was the director of The Louis and Gabi Weisfeld School of Social Work, which is part of Bar-Ilan University.
She has been involved in many research projects related to traumatic events such as war, terrorism and family violence. Rachel has a professional interest in individuals who have experienced trauma themselves, as well as their immediate families, and has published around 100 scientific articles, including the two below, which were written in collaboration with Professor Ask Elklit from the National Centre for Psychotraumatology.

Dekel, R., Solomon, Z., Elklit, A. &Ginsburg, K. (2004).World Assumptions and Combat-Related Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.Journal of Social Psychology, 144,407-420.

Elklit, A., Shevlin, M., Solomon, Z., Dekel, R. (2007). Factor Structure and Concurrent Validity of the World Assumption Scale.Journal of Traumatic Stress, 20(3), 303-312.

Ruby Charak

Guest researcher during the period: 2012-2015
From: India

In the period 2012-2015, Ruby Charak was working on her PhD at the National Centre for Psychotraumatology.

Ruby Charak trained as a clinical psychologist in India, specialising in developmental psychology, and in 2005 became an assistant professor at the University of Jammu, not far from the border with Pakistan. She later completed her PhD at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam. She is now at the University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley, where she is the Director of the Adversities in Childhood and Trauma Studies Lab.
Ruby's areas of academic interest include family violence, PTSD and child abuse. In collaboration with the National Centre for Psychotraumatology, she has co-authored articles on landslides in India, gender differences in trauma, the structure of PTSD and trauma related to adolescent substance abuse.