Expert Profile
E. Alison Holman
Professor of Nursing
E. Alison Holman studies the early post-event predictors of co-morbid trauma-related mental and physical health problems.
Areas of Expertise
- Physical health
- Acute Stress
- Acute Stress & Cardiovascular Disease
- Psychological Trauma
- Media Exposure
Biography
E. Alison Holman's research focuses on understanding the early post-event predictors of comorbid trauma-related mental and physical health problems. She seeks to identify predictors of, contributions of, and interactions between acute responses to trauma (biological, cognitive, emotional, social, environmental, behavioral) that increase vulnerability to trauma-related health problems, especially cardiovascular disease. Toward this end, Holman examines gene-environment interactions and the roles of several biological systems in acute/posttraumatic stress response: renin-angiotensin-aldosterone, endocannabinoid, and oxytocin systems as well as hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis response. The ultimate goal is to identify targets for early interventions to prevent trauma-related morbidity and mortality.
Media
Media Appearances
Stroke Mimics Tied to More PTSD Than Stroke
Medscape, 2/5/2024
What does watching violence do to your mind? ‘Nothing good’: 5 tips for maintaining your mental health while following the news
CNBC Make it, 10/13/2023
Mentoring is 'Miracle Gro for nurses' and 'key to future success'
Becker's Hospital Review, 5/2/2023
Depression risk rises after a stroke. What that means for John Fetterman.
The Washington Post, 2/17/2023
Hurricane Ian Impact: The Unexpected Health Effects
Healthline, 9/29/2022
Trauma, time and mental health — new study unpacks pandemic phenomenon
The Washington Post, 9/5/2022
The effects that recent mass shootings have on the American psyche
KCBS Radio, 6/6/2022
A trauma psychologist offers tips for NYC parents and kids trying to make sense of the subway shooting
WNYC, 4/13/2022
How Collective Trauma Affects Health Outcomes: Nurse Researcher Shares Insights
Daily Nurse, 3/29/2022
Watching footage from Ukraine? Here's how to protect your mental health.
Mashable, 3/2/2022
Articles
Reported Worst Life Events and Media Exposure to Terrorism in a Nationally Representative U.S. Sample
Journal of Traumatic Stress, 1/1/1970
The Novel Coronavirus (COVID-2019) Outbreak: Amplification of Public Health Consequences by Media Exposure
Health Psychology, 1/1/1970
Associations between exposure to childhood bullying and abuse and adulthood outcomes in a representative national U.S. sample
Child Abuse & Neglect, 1/1/1970
Exposure to prior negative life events and responses to the Boston marathon bombings.
Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 1/1/1970
Media Exposure to Collective Trauma, Mental Health, and Functioning: Does It Matter What You See?
Clinical Psychological Science, 1/1/1970
Education
U.C. Irvine
PhD, Health Psychology, 1996
University of California, Santa Cruz
BA, Psychology, 1989
San Francisco State University
BS, Nursing, 1981
Affiliations
- International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies
- Association for Psychological Science
- American Psychological Association, Divisions of Health Psychology and Trauma Psychology
- California Association for Nurse Practitioners
Research Grants
Genetic variation, stress, and functional outcomes after stroke rehabilitation
National Institute of Nursing Research, 7/1/2015-6/30/2020
A national longitudinal study of community trauma exposure
National Science Foundation, 1/1/2015-12/31/2017
RAPID: Responding to Terror of a Different Kind: A National Study of the Ebola Epidemic
National Science Foundation, 12/1/14 - 11/30/15
Susceptibility to Acute Stress and Cardiovascular Ailments: A Gene-Environment Analysis
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholar Grant, 2010-2013