Ellen Goldstein, PhD, MFT
Assistant Professor
Department of Population Health Nursing Science
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Contact
- Building & Room:
- 1044 NURS
- Address:
- 845 S. Damen Ave., MC 802, Chicago, IL 60612
- Office Phone:
- (312) 355-2790
Email:
Related Sites:
About
I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Population Health Nursing Science in the College of Nursing. I received my Masters in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis on Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology at the Santa Barbara Graduate Institute and a PhD in Nursing Science and Health Care Leadership at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at the University of California at Davis. I completed my T32 postdoctoral training in Primary Care Research in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at the University of Wisconsin.
Building on my clinical experience as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist working with at-risk youth and families, my research is focused on increasing perinatal and LGBTQ+ health equity and access to mental health services among underserved and marginalized populations. As a behavioral and social scientist, I am also testing the efficacy of the Community Resilience Model (CRM) to reduce perinatal distress and improve regulation among pregnant people with lived experience of trauma. Over the years, my research has taken steps to demonstrate acceptability and feasibility of adverse childhood experiences (ACE) screening and brief intervention services within community-based clinics serving patients at high risk for health inequities as well as developing a race and equity-centered trauma-informed framework for perinatal care. This research has contributed to a deeper understanding of how to translate a patient’s ACE score into clinical care and address ACE’s impact on mental and physical health in patients served in community clinics. Additionally, I am co-founder of the National Collaborative on Trauma Informed Health Care Education and Research (TIHCER) whose mission is to advance interprofessional trauma-informed health education across the continuum of learners.
I am currently accepting PhD students.
Selected Grants
Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy, Trauma-Informed Healthcare among Sexual and Gender Diverse Black, Indigenous, and People of Color with a History of Childhood Adversity: A Mixed Methods Study, Co-Principal Investigator
Center for Health Equity (CHER) Chicago, Reducing Stress-Sensitive Problems among Pregnant Black Women with Childhood Adversity: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of Motivational Interviewing and Mental Wellness Skills, Principal Investigator https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05718479
College of Nursing Dean’s Fund (IRSP), Multi-Level Framework for Trauma-Informed Prenatal Care Implementation, Principal Investigator
National Institutes of Health/NIDA/R34DA050270, Promoting Resilience in Children: Protocol Development for a Birth Cohort Study to Assess Factors Impacting Neurodevelopment, Multi-Principal Investigator
University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health Funds, Supporting Expectant and New Mothers in the Time of COVID-19 Pandemic, Principal Investigator
University of Wisconsin (UW) Institute Clinical Translational Research (ICTR)/Advancing Health Equity and Diversity Pilot Awards (AHEAD)/UL1TR002373, Addressing adverse childhood experiences and health risk behaviors among low-income black primary care patients: Testing feasibility of a motivation-based intervention, Principal Investigator
Selected Publications
Goldstein E, Li Y, Johnson S, Biggers A, Shankar M, Koenig MD. Clinicians’ Experiences and Recommendations for Implementing Trauma-Informed Care in Perinatal Settings. Res Nurs Health. Aug 2026;49(4):411-423. doi:10.1002/nur.70077
Goldstein E, Johnson S, Li Y, Shankar M, Koenig MD. Clinicians’ Perspectives on Providing Trauma-Informed Perinatal Care. Res Nurs Health. Aug 2026;49(4):390-398. doi:10.1002/nur.70068
Goldstein E, Keita M, Koomson C, et al. A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of a Multimodal Wellness Intervention for Perinatal Mental Health. J Midwifery Womens Health. May-Jun 2025;70(3):442-451. doi:10.1111/jmwh.13754
Goldstein E, Topitzes J, Brown RL, Jussel AB. Mental health among university employees during the COVID-19 pandemic: The role of previous life trauma and current posttraumatic stress symptoms. Psychol Trauma. 2022 Jul 25. PubMed PMID: 35878086
Goldstein E, Bakhireva LN, Nervik K, Hagen S, Turnquist A, Zgierska AE, Marquez LE, McDonald R, Lo J, Chambers C. Recruitment and retention of pregnant women in prospective birth cohort studies: A scoping review and content analysis of the literature. Neurotoxicol Teratol. 2021 Mar 22;85:106974.
Goldstein E, Topitzes J, Miller-Cribbs J, Brown RL. Influence of race/ethnicity and income on the link between adverse childhood experiences and child flourishing. Pediatr Res. 2020 Oct 12; doi.org/10.1038/s41390-020-01188-6.
Goldstein E, McDonnell C, Atchley R, Dorado K, Bedford C, Brown RL, Zgierska AE. The Impact of Psychological Interventions on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Pain Symptoms: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Clin J Pain. 2019 Aug;35(8):703-712.
Publication Aggregators
Service to Community
Guest Editor for Special Section on Innovations in Trauma-Informed Health Care
2022 – 2023 The Permanente Journal, https://www.thepermanentejournal.org/collection-trauma-informed-healthcare
Editorial Advisory Board Member
2022 – present The Permanente Journal, https://www.thepermanentejournal.org/journal/tpj/about/board
Professional Leadership
Founding Member, National Collaborative on Trauma Informed Health Care Education and Research; https://tihcer.weebly.com
Education
T32 Postdoctoral Fellowship in Primary Care Research, University of Wisconsin Family Medicine and Community Health
PhD, University California at Davis School of Nursing, Nursing Science and Health Care Leadership
MA, Santa Barbara Graduate Institute, Clinical Psychology
BA, University California at Santa Cruz, Environmental Studies
Licensures and Certifications
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (Lic #49859)
Professional Memberships
2018 - Present Founding Member, National Collaborative on Trauma Informed Health Care Education and Research (TIHCER)
2018 - Present Founding Member, TIHCER-PACEs Connection Community Group
2018 - Present Founding Member, TIHCER monthly webinar series, (25-35 members regularly in attendance) features the work of TIHCER members followed by discussion.
Selected Presentations
Goldstein E. Differential Effects of a Prenatal Stress Reduction Intervention on Maternal Distress and Resilience by Presence or Absence of Adverse Childhood Experiences. American Academy Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) 70th Annual Meeting in New York City, NY, October 23-28, 2023
Goldstein E., Lewis-O’Connor A. Advancing Trauma-Informed Care in Health Care Settings. Interprofessional Wellness Seminar Series for UI Health & Hospital System – Grand Rounds, March 13, 2024.
Goldstein E., Listening Session for TIHCER’s Future Directions. National Collaborative on Trauma-Informed Health Care Education and Research (TIHCER) Monthly Meeting. March 21, 2024.