ASU is strongly committed to the success of its expanding numbers of over 2000 veteran students and their dependents. A key aspect of that commitment is reflected in the 2015 launch of the Veterans Wellness Research Center at ASU which aims to serve as a hub of transdisciplinary research on resilience to stress and trauma. Our overarching goal is to conduct research through which we both learn from, and benefit, our veterans and their families. The Center's mission is three-fold:

1. to grow basic scientific knowledge of resilience, ranging from resilience at the cellular level to societies as a whole;
2. to develop evidence-based best practices and policies that help veterans and their families reach their full potential; and
3. to serve as a resource to the community by providing the training to service providers in the use of optimal practices to promote resilience among veterans and their families.

Our research and clinical partners - including scientists at the Mayo Clinic, Phoenix Children’s Hospital, the Phoenix VA Health Care System, and the University of Texas Dallas - are collaborating with ASU's leading experts to conduct cutting edge research to answer such questions as:

• Are there biomarkers of brain injury that can be modified to help deliver targeted treatments to promote cell repair?
• Does brain performance training help vets with cognitive symptoms improve their academic performance and accomplish their goals?
• Can identifying and addressing gaps in parenting knowledge among veteran families promote better health in their children?
• Can smartphone technology be harnessed to effectively deliver skills training to improve sleep and physical activity among veterans?

Current Collaborative Research Projects

For more information regarding opportunities for collaboration and seed money grants for research, contact Mary Davis, PhD, Interim Director of the Veterans Wellness Research Center. Check this site often for updates as we continue our outreach to the veteran community and those who serve it.

Steering Committee

Tamiko Azuma, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Speech and Hearing Science, College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University
Leslie Baxter, PhD, Program Manager, Human Brain Imaging Laboratory, Barrow Neurological Institute
David W. Coon, PhD, Associate Vice Provost and Professor, College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University
Mary Davis, PhD, Professor and Interim Director, VWRC, Department of Psychology, Arizona State University
Adam McCray, PhD, West Valley Veterans Center, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Sarah Stabenfedlt, PhD, Assistant Professor, School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University
Cynthia Stonnington, MD, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Mayo Clinic
Shawn Youngstedt, PhD, Professor, College of Nursing and Health Innovation, Arizona State University