Jessica Furtado

Why I’m working at the Research Shop: The possibilities of research excite me most when projects engage the stakeholders who can inform what questions need to be addressed, what kind of data/knowledge is most impactful to them, and how research can be leveraged for social gain. I see the Research Shop as an incredible opportunity to collaborate with others where together we can learn and innovate better than any individual effort.

Program of Study: I am a third year PhD Candidate in the interdisciplinary program of Family Relations and Human Development. My dissertation project builds on my Master of Social Work thesis in which I explored how children interpret hospitalization as potentially traumatic and resilience-building. I will explore how children and their families experience medical challenges and how they move toward post-traumatic growth. My work as a Child and Family Therapist helps inform my research processes, with the goal of using research to improve care practices.