

Lauren Alvis
Helping organizations promote health equity through data-driven solutions.
Email:
Location:
Houston, TX
Home Town:
San Antonio, TX
Ethnic Identity:
Mixed, 3rd-Generation Latina, and White
Pronouns:
she/her/hers
About
I’m a Lifespan Developmental Psychologist and Applied Quantitative Statistician, committed to using data as a tool for promoting health equity and social justice. My work combines advanced statistical methods with an understanding of human development to:
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design data systems
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conduct research and evaluation
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translate findings into insights that can directly inform practice and decision-making.
Current Role
As Senior Director of Research at the Trauma & Grief Center, I lead research from conceptualization to implementation, supporting efforts to improve and expand access to evidence-based care for youth impacted by trauma or loss. I use programming tools like R to develop data dashboards and databases, streamlining processes and enhancing evaluation and service delivery. My goal is to ensure these practices are effective, accessible, and culturally relevant.
Research Interests
My research examines the structural inequities that contribute to mental health disparities while identifying cultural and community-based strengths that support the well-being of youth of color. I use data to inform strategies that disrupt these inequities and strengthen pathways to thriving, ultimately advancing health equity.
Personal Life
When I'm not crunching numbers and wrangling datasets, I enjoy embracing the hot, humid Houston weather by exploring the city on my Harley.
Timeline
May 2020 - December 2020
May 2019 - May 2020
May 2019
May 2016
May 2014
Postdoctoral Quantitative Research Associate
Institute for Research on Youth Thriving and Evaluation, Montclair State University, NJ
Advisors: Drs. Jennifer Urban and Miriam Linver
The Trauma and Grief Center, Baylor College of Medicine/Texas Children’s Hospital , TX
Advisor: Dr. Julie Kaplow
Ph.D. Lifespan Developmental Psychology, with specialization in Advanced Quantitative Statistics
West Virginia University, WV
Dissertation: Distinguishing beliefs about social inequality: Associations among dimensions of critical consciousness
M.S. Lifespan Developmental Psychology
West Virginia University, WV
Thesis: Helping others vs. fixing the system: Distinguishing facets of adolescents’ civic reasoning
B.A. Psychology
The University of Alabama, AL
Minor: Human Development
January 2024 - Present
December 2021 - December 2023
December 2020 - December 2021
Senior Director of Research
The Trauma and Grief Center at Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute
Houston, TX
Director of Research
The Trauma and Grief Center at Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute
Houston, TX
Research Psychologist
The Trauma and Grief Center at Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute
Houston, TX