Alexandra Zax
- BA (2015) Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA
- MA (2021) University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS
Contact Info
1000 Sunnyside Avenue
Lawrence, KS 66045
Biography —
My overarching goal is to engage in clinically meaningful research that directly benefits children and families. To date, my primary research interests aim to shed light on complex associations between individual, cultural, and community factors on mental health and behavioral outcomes in youth. More specifically, I am interested in understanding outcome multifinality among children exposed to trauma and the influence of stress, cognitive factors, and culture on developmental pathways. Using an individual and systems-level approach, my long-term aim is to ameliorate disparities in mental health service access and improve mental health outcomes for minoritized youth.
Selected Publications —
Griffith, R. L., Nowalis, S., Zax, A., Fite, P. J., & Gudiño, O. (2023). Justice-involved youths’ perceptions of placement disruptions and adjustment related outcomes. Residential Treatment for Children & Youth, 1-17.
Fite, P., Hesse, D., Tampke, B., Zax, A., Raju, S., & Curto, S. (2023). Differential Associations Between Perceived Containment and the Forms of Proactive and Reactive Functions of Aggression Among Elementary School-Age Youth. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 1-16.
Fite, P. J., Tampke, E., Diaz, K., Zax, A., & Baca, S. (2022). Bidirectional links between sibling aggression and victimization. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment, & Trauma, 31(7), 962-980.
Fite, P. J., Cooley, J. L., Díaz, K. I., Singh, M. N., Zax, A. (2021). Impact of sibling victimization on child internalizing symptoms. Child Psychiatry & Human Development, 1-8.
Ramos-Salamanca, L.*, Zax, A.*, & Gudiño, G. O. (2021). Exposure to violence, coping, and academic achievement in Latinx adolescents. School Mental Health, 1-10. *Denotes shared first authorship
Selected Presentations —
Zax, A.,Solano, C., & Gudiño, O. (October, 2023). Exploring the Role of Language Use in the Relation between Acculturation Stress and Mental Health Symptoms among Latinx Youth. Poster to be presented at the National Latinx Psychological Association conference. Chicago, IL.
Solano, C.,Zax, A., & Gudiño, O. (November, 2023). Separation from Parents, Internalizing Symptoms, PTSD, and the Moderating Role of Social Support in Latinx Children. Poster to be presented at the meeting of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies. Los Angeles, CA.
Zax, A. & Gudiño, G. O. (April, 2023). Revised Reinforcement Sensitivity and Risk for Psychopathology Following Trauma Exposure: A Vulnerability-Specificity Model in Emerging Adults. Poster presented at the meeting of the Annual Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) Conference. Washington, D.C.
Guler, J., Zax, A., Hambrick, E., & Vernberg, E. (February, 2022). Feasibility of testing executive functioning in a sample of multilingual resettled refugee adults and youth: A pilot study. Poster presented at the meeting of the International Neuropsychological Society (INS). Virtual Conference.
Zax, A., Gudiño, G. O., Lau, A. S., Tsai, W., Weiss, B. (April, 2021). Temporal Orientation and the Association Between Adversity and Internalizing Symptoms in Vietnamese American Adolescents. Poster presented at the Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD). Virtual Conference.
Guler, J., Zax, A., Price, M., Hambrick, E., & Vernberg, E. (April, 2021). Examining methodological practices to promote linguistic diversity in pediatric psychology research: A case example of research with resettled refugee families. In G. McDonnell and C. Stiles-Shields (Co-Chairs), Increasing Diversity and Cultural Responsivity in Pediatric Psychology Research. Symposium conducted at the meeting of the Society of Pediatric Psychology (SPPAC). Virtual Conference.