Contact
luwe1@shp.rutgers.edu
Websites:
CBT for PTSD in SEd
iCareer Study
(Internet Assisted Career-Oriented Soft-Skills Training)
Weili Lu, Ph.D.
Weili Lu, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey.
The mission of Dr. Lu’s lab is to conduct innovative clinical research and produce scholarship related to trauma-informed care, co-occurring PTSD in serious mental health conditions, early intervention and employment-related soft skills to improve the well-being of and enhance services for persons with disabilities. Dr. Lu’s lab also provides mentorship for students and opportunities to be actively involved in clinical research.
A major area Dr. Lu’s lab focuses on is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) interventions for individuals with psychiatric disabilities and comorbid PTSD. The research centers on trauma, trauma-informed care and PTSD, with an emphasis on individuals with serious mental illness with co-morbid PTSD. Our work in this lab has explored how trauma may impact occupational functioning (education/employment) for persons with psychiatric disabilities. Research in this domain is critical as persons with psychiatric disabilities are the largest group of disabilities beneficiaries in the United States.
Moreover, our lab aims to investigate the impact of cumulative stress on one’s mental health and to foster resilience and recovery for people who have experienced traumatic events to recover from trauma. Recently, Dr. Lu’s lab has also explored how trauma may impact academic functioning for college students with PTSD. Relatedly, our lab has examined employment related soft skills training for persons with disabilities, especially young people with disabilities. All together, areas of research examined include disability issues, employment related soft skills, assessment of trauma history and PTSD in those with comorbid serious mental health conditions, trauma focused cognitive behavioral treatment for persons with comorbid serious mental health conditions, trauma informed care, psychiatric rehabilitation, mental health service utilization, and culturally-informed care.
Dr. Lu’s lab has published extensively on the topic on PTSD among persons with psychiatric disabilities as well as on work related soft skills for persons with disabilities. (https://apps.shp.rutgers.edu/projects/facultyLocator/profile1.cfm?RUID=luwe1)
| Carolyn Bazan Ph.D. Student cbazan@shp.rutgers.edu |
Jiwoo Choi Ph.D. Student, Research Assistant jc3086@shp.rutgers.edu |
| Lucile Brown Ph.D. Student, Research Assistant lucilleb@shp.rutgers.edu |
Vrinda Sheath Research Assistant vs503@shp.rutgers.edu |
| Janki Mevawala Ph.D. Student, Research Assistant jdm294@shp.rutgers.edu |
John Beninato Project Coordinator for NIDILRR funded iCareer Study jpb224@shp.rutgers.edu |
| Jeganee Srijeyanthan Project Coordinator for NIDILRR funded CBT for PTSD Study js2280@psych.rutgers.edu |
Amanda Siriram Research Assistant acs263@shp.rutgers.edu |
| Ke Wang Associate Project Coordinator & Data Manager for NIDILRR funded CBT for PTSD Study Project Coordinator for New Jersey Health Foundation kw692@shp.rutgers.edu |
Jason Diviney Master Program Student, Research Assistant jason.diviney@rutgers.edu |
| Esther Lo Research Assistant el878@shp.rutgers.edu |
Externs 2022-2023
- Antonio Pagan (2023)
- Choice Sellers (2023)
- Sydney Tulloch (2023)
- Kaitlyn Lauer (2023)
- Kaillee Philleo (2022-2023)
- Krista Rogers (2022-2023)
- Serena Lamacchia (2022-2023)
- Chloe Chong (2022-2023)
- Zara Adam (2022-2023)
- Marco Tang (2022-2023)
- Adrian Stone (2022-2023)
- Oscar Russi (2022-2023)
- Connor Fleischacker (2022-2023)
2021-2022
- Elena Wu (2021)
- Stephanie Miodus (2021)
- Min Jeong Kim (2021)
- Mairead Mercedes (2021)
- Tirza Ben Ari (2021)
- Joshua Finkelstein (2021)
- Seth MacDonald (2021-2022)
- Beth Mcgonigle (2021-2022)
- Khushi Gena (2022)
- Stephanie Mignogna (2022)
- Shaelen Grant (2022)
- Alexandra Schmidt (2022)
Collaborators
- Phil T. Yanos, PhD, CUNY
- Janice Oursler, PhD, Rutgers University
- Kim Mueser, PhD, Boston University
- William Waynor, PhD, Rutgers University
- James Scott Parrott, PhD, Rutgers University
- Samantha Herrick, PhD, Rutgers University
- Ni Gao, PhD, Rutgers University
- Giovanna Giacobbe, MSW, Rutgers University
- Amy Banko, MS, Rutgers University
- Brittany Stone, MS, Rutgers University
- Yuane Jia, PhD, Rutgers University
- Dake Zhang, PhD, Rutgers University
- Steven Silverstein, PhD, Rochester University
Grant Funding
Title: Internet Assisted Career-Oriented Soft-Skills Training (iCareer) for Transition Age Youth: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Role: Principal Investigator
Sponsor Agency: National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research
Brief Overview of Aims: Evaluating the effectiveness of the iCareer intervention infused with cognitive behavioral therapy, among individuals ages 16-24 with mental health conditions to improve employment outcomes.
Total Dollar Amount: $600,000
Funding Period: September 2022 – September 2025
Website: https://sites.rutgers.edu/icareer/
Title: CBT for PTSD to Enhance Educational Outcomes among Students with Psychiatric Disabilities in Post-Secondary Education
Role: Principal Investigator
Sponsor Agency: National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research
Brief Overview of Aims: Evaluate the effectiveness of telehealth-based CBT, in comparison with treatment as usual among students with PTSD obtaining their post-secondary education. https://sites.rutgers.edu/cbt-ptsd-sed/
Total Dollar Amount: $600,000
Funding Period: September 2020 – September 2023
Title: Comparison of Treatments for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Role: Principal Investigator
Sponsor Agency: New Jersey Health Foundation
Brief Overview of Aims: Comparing brief intervention counseling sessions and acupuncture as a treatment options for Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Total Dollar Amount: $35,000
Funding Period: January 2020 – January 2021
Title: Treating hidden barriers to employment: Integrated treatment for PTSD in Supported Employment
Role: Principal Investigator
Sponsor Agency: National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research
Brief Overview of Aims: Examining the effectiveness of group-based cognitive behavioral treatment for PTSD among people with severe mental illness participating in supported employment.
Total Dollar Amount: $600,000
Funding Period: October 2014 – October 2018
Title: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in Severe Mental Illnesses: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Sponsor Agency: National Institute of Mental Health
Role: Co-Investigator
Brief Overview of Aims: Evaluating the effectiveness of tailored cognitive behavioral therapy delivered by frontline clinicians in treating post-traumatic stress disorder in people with co-morbid mental illnesses.
Total Dollar Amount: $2.6 million
Funding Period: 2007 – 2011
Title: PTSD Screening in urban primary care
Role: Principal Investigator
Sponsor Agency: Rutgers University’s Research Council
Brief Overview of Aims: Investigating PTSD Screening in urban primary care
Total Dollar Amount: $1,600
Funding Period: May 2019 to June 2021
Title: Soft Skills Training for Transition-Age Youth and Young Adults with Disabilities
Role: Principal Investigator
Sponsor Agency: Rutgers School of Health Professions Dean’s Intramural Grant
Brief Overview of Aims: Examining soft skills training among young people with disabilities.
Total Dollar Amount: $34,000
Funding Period: July 2017 – April 2020
Title: Helping Enhancing Low Perceived Social Support (HELPS): A Pilot Study on Social Support Intervention
Role: Principal Investigator
Sponsor Agency: UMDNJ Foundation (Now New Jersey Health Foundation)
Brief Overview of Aims: Examining a social support intervention
Total Dollar Amount: $20,000
| Year | Name of Honor |
|---|---|
| 2023 | Excellence for Research Award from the New Jersey Health Foundation |
| 2022 | 2022 RBHS Chancellor Award, Clinical or Health Sciences Investigator Award |
| 2010 | Excellence for Research Award from the Foundation of UMDNJ (now the New Jersey Health Foundation) |
| 2010 | New Jersey Behavioral HealthCare Quality Improvement Award (2nd PL) |
Selected Publications
2023
Lu, W., Mueser, K. T., Yanos, P. T., Siriram, A., Jia, Y., Leong, A., Silverstein, S. M., Gottlieb, J., G., & Jankowski, M. K. (in press) Posttraumatic Cognitions Inventory (PTCI): Psychometric properties in clients with serious mental illness and co-occurring PTSD. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy.
2022
Lu, W., Srijeyanthan, J., Mueser, K. T., Yanos, P. T., Parrott, J. S., Siriram, A., Gottlieb, J. D., Marcello, S., & Silverstein, S. M. (2022). Predictors of undocumented PTSD in persons using public mental health services. Psychiatry research, 317, 114892. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2022.114892
Lu, W., Yanos, P. T., Waynor, W., Jia, Y., Siriram, A., Leong, A., Gill, K., & Mueser, K. T. (2022). Psychometric properties of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) checklist for DSM-5 in persons with serious mental illness. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 13(1), 2038924. https://doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2022.2038924
Lu, W., Bates, F. M., Waynor, W. R., Bazan, C., Gao, C. E., & Yanos, P. T. (2022). I feel frozen: Client perceptions of how posttraumatic stress disorder impacts employment. Psychiatric rehabilitation journal, 45(2), 136-143. DOI: 10.1037/prj0000477
2015
Mueser, K. T., Gottlieb, J. D., Xie, H., Lu, W., Yanos, P. T., Rosenberg, S. D., et al. (2015). Evaluation of cognitive restructuring for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in people with severe mental illness. British Journal of Psychiatry, 201(6), 501-508. doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.114.147926.
The full list of publications can be found on Dr. Lu’s Faculty Locator page , or on Dr. Lu’s Google Scholar page.
If you are a student interested in becoming mentored by Dr. Lu, gaining research skills, or becoming more involved in research projects, please contact Dr. Lu by emailing at luwe1@shp.rutgers.edu.
65 Bergen Street, Suite 120, Newark, NJ 07107-1709
Admissions: 973-972-5454
Dean's office: 973-972-4276
FAX: 973-972-7028