Weili Lu, Ph.D.
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.
Research Overview
Advancing PTSD Treatment 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.
Research Team
The people behind the science
Carolyn Bazan
Ph.D. Student
cbazan@shp.rutgers.edu
Lucile Brown
Ph.D. Student, Research Assistant
lucilleb@shp.rutgers.edu
Janki Mevawala
Ph.D. Student, Research Assistant
jdm294@shp.rutgers.edu
Jeganee Srijeyanthan
Project Coordinator for NIDILRR funded CBT for PTSD Study
js2280@psych.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
| Esther Lo Research Assistant el878@shp.rutgers.edu |
Jiwoo Choi
Ph.D. Student, Research Assistant
jc3086@shp.rutgers.edu
Vrinda Sheath
Research Assistant
vs503@shp.rutgers.edu
John Beninato
Project Coordinator for NIDILRR funded iCareer Study
jpb224@shp.rutgers.edu
Amanda Siriram
Research Assistant
acs263@shp.rutgers.edu
Jason Diviney
Master Program Student, Research Assistant
jason.diviney@rutgers.edu
Funding & Grants
Supported Research Programs
Federal, foundation, and institutional funding advancing predictive modeling of treatment responses
National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research
$600,000
Internet Assisted Career-Oriented Soft-Skills Training (iCareer) for Transition Age Youth: A Randomized Controlled Trial
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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
Role: Principal Investigator
Website: https://sites.rutgers.edu/icareer/
- 9/2022 - 9/2025
New Jersey Health Foundation
$35,000
Comparison of Treatments for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
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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
Role: Principal Investigator
- 1/2020 - 1/2021
National Institute of Mental Health
$2.6 million
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in Severe Mental Illnesses: A Randomized Clinical Trial
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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
Role: Co-Investigator
- 2007 – 2011
Rutgers School of Health Professions Dean’s Intramural Grant
$34,000
Soft Skills Training for Transition-Age Youth and Young Adults with Disabilities
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Brief Overview of Aims: Examining soft skills training among young people with disabilities.
Total Dollar Amount: $34,000
Funding Period: July 2017 – April 2020
Role: Principal Investigator
- July 2017 – April 2020
National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research
$600,000
CBT for PTSD to Enhance Educational Outcomes among Students with Psychiatric Disabilities in Post-Secondary Education
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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
Role: Principal Investigator
- 9/2020 - 9/2023
National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research
$600,000
Treating hidden barriers to employment: Integrated treatment for PTSD in Supported Employment
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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
Role: Principal Investigator
- 10/2014 -10/2018
Rutgers University’s Research Council
$1,600
PTSD Screening in urban primary care
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Brief Overview of Aims: Investigating PTSD Screening in urban primary care
Total Dollar Amount: $1,600
Funding Period: May 2019 to June 2021
Role: Principal Investigator
- May 2019 to June 2021
UMDNJ Foundation (Now New Jersey Health Foundation)
$20,000
Helping Enhancing Low Perceived Social Support (HELPS): A Pilot Study on Social Support Intervention
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Brief Overview of Aims: Examining a social support intervention
Total Dollar Amount: $20,000
Role: Principal Investigator
Publications & Impact
Selected Research Publications
2023
Posttraumatic Cognitions Inventory (PTCI): Psychometric properties in clients with serious mental illness and co-occurring PTSD (in press)
Lu, W., Mueser, K. T., Yanos, P. T., Siriram, A., Jia, Y., Leong, A., Silverstein, S. M., Gottlieb, J., G., & Jankowski, M. K.
Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy
2022
Predictors of undocumented PTSD in persons using public mental health services
Lu, W., Srijeyanthan, J., Mueser, K. T., Yanos, P. T., Parrott, J. S., Siriram, A., Gottlieb, J. D., Marcello, S., & Silverstein, S. M.
Psychiatry Research, 317, 114892. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2022.114892
2022
Psychometric properties of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) checklist for DSM-5 in persons with serious mental illness
Lu, W., Yanos, P. T., Waynor, W., Jia, Y., Siriram, A., Leong, A., Gill, K., & Mueser, K. T.
European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 13(1), 2038924. https://doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2022.2038924
2022
I feel frozen: Client perceptions of how posttraumatic stress disorder impacts employment
Lu, W., Bates, F. M., Waynor, W. R., Bazan, C., Gao, C. E., & Yanos, P. T.
Psychiatric rehabilitation journal, 45(2), 136-143. DOI: 10.1037/prj0000477
2015
Evaluation of cognitive restructuring for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in people with severe mental illness
Mueser, K. T., Gottlieb, J. D., Xie, H., Lu, W., Yanos, P. T., Rosenberg, S. D., et al.
British Journal of Psychiatry, 201(6), 501-508. doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.114.147926
Achievements
Awards & Honors
2023
SHP Dean’s Intramural Grants
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)
Get Involved
Join our Research
Interested in advancing your research? Reach out to Dr. Lu
to learn more about opportunities to get involved.
