Professor Director of Clinical Training, Clinical Program Dr. Lavner will be reviewing applications for a new graduate student for Fall 2025 admission. I am a clinical psychologist whose research aims to understand and improve family health and well-being, particularly among underserved and marginalized populations. My work examines (1) how and why relationships change; (2) the effects of minority and contextual stressors such as racial discrimination, financial strain, and sexual stigma on individual and family functioning and the protective factors that buffer these effects; and (3) preventive interventions to strengthen relational, physical, and mental health among couples and families. Education Education: Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles B.A., Williams College Research Research Interests: Couple and family relationships, prevention/intervention, health inequities, minority and contextual stress, LGBTQ issues Selected Publications Selected Publications: Petruzzella, A., Allan, T., & Lavner, J. A. (in press). Gay men’s engagement with a gay campground community in the rural Southern United States. Leisure Sciences. Weber, D. M., Williamson, H. C., Bryant, C. M., Mussa, K., & Lavner, J. A. (2024). Patterns and predictors of change in relationship status among Black mothers over 16 weeks postpartum. Journal of Family Psychology, 38, 751–762. Adesogan, O., Lavner, J. A., Carter, S. E., & Beach, S. R. H. (2024). Stress accumulation, depressive symptoms, and sleep problems among Black Americans in the rural South. Clinical Psychological Science, 12, 421–434. Hart, A. R., Beach, S. R. H., Hart, C. N., Smith, J. J., Stansfield, B. K., & Lavner, J. A. (2024). Responsive parenting and Black mothers’ postpartum sleep: Secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial. Health Psychology, 43, 438–447. Weber, D. M., Lavner, J. A., & Beach, S. R. H. (2024). Different trajectories of relationship satisfaction among rural Black couples following preventive relationship intervention. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 92, 356–366. Lavner, J. A., Hohman, E. E., Beach, S. R. H., Stansfield, B. K., & Savage, J. S. (2023). Effects of a responsive parenting intervention among Black families on infants’ sleep: A secondary analysis of the Sleep SAAF randomized clinical trial. JAMA Network Open, 6, e236276. Lavner, J. A., Ong, M. L., Carter, S. E., Hart, A. R., & Beach, S. R. H. (2023). Racial discrimination predicts depressive symptoms throughout adolescence among Black youth. Developmental Psychology, 59, 7–14. Johnson, M. D., Lavner, J. A., Muise, A., Mund, M., Neyer, F. J., Park, Y., Harasymchuk, C., & Impett, E. A. (2022). Women and men are the barometers of relationships: Testing the predictive power of women’s and men’s relationship satisfaction. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 119, e2209460119. Kanter, J. B., Lavner, J. A., Lannin, D. G., Hilgard, J., & Monk, J. K. (2022). Does couple communication predict later relationship quality and dissolution? A meta-analysis. Journal of Marriage and Family, 84, 533–551. Lavner, J. A., Savage, J. S., Stansfield, B. K., Beach, S. R. H., Marini, M. E., Smith, J. J., Sperr, M. C., Anderson, T. N., Hernandez, E., Moore, A. M., Caldwell, A. L., & Birch, L. L. (2022). Effects of the Sleep SAAF responsive parenting intervention on rapid infant weight gain: A randomized clinical trial of African American families. Appetite, 175, 106080. Other Information Of note: As noted above, I will be reviewing applications for a new Ph.D. student for Fall 2025. My lab is currently focused on topics related to couple and family dynamics and interventions, health inequities, minority and contextual stress and resilience, and the transition to parenthood. Students with strong research experiences and interest in any of these areas are likely to find the lab a good fit for them. The lab is highly collaborative, student affirming, and inclusive. Please note that I am unable to meet with applicants outside of our official interviews.
