SPOTLIGHT

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PAU Faculty Member Studies Earthquake Effects in New Zealand

 

Lisa Brown, Ph.D., Professor and Director of the Trauma Program, received a 2015 Fulbright Specialist award to collaborate with colleagues at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.  During her six-week residency in New Zealand, she presented three seminars on trauma, resilience, and disasters to the Joint Centre for Disaster Research, the Health and Ageing Research Team Forum, Massey University, Palmerston North, and to faculty and students at Wellington, Massey University, Auckland.

 

Using data from an ongoing research project that is examining the effects of the major Canterbury, New Zealand, earthquakes on older New Zealanders, Dr. Brown is co-authoring a manuscript on the psychological, behavioral and social resilience factors that protect older adults in the event of disaster. She reviewed case studies and conducted collaborative evaluation of materials used to promote earthquake and tsunami preparedness among older adults in addition to consulting with the Joint Center on Disaster Research and the Ministry of Civil Defense and Emergency Management on disaster management and older adults.

 

With her New Zealand colleagues, she is preparing two submissions for symposiums to be presented at two international aging meetings in 2016 (Brisbane, Australia) and 2017 (San Francisco, California).

 

Dr. Brown's residency at Massey University presentations (PDFs):

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• The Health Effects of Evacuation on Residential Care Residents in the Event of a Disaster

• Educating and Preparing the Public for Disasters

• Assessing, Intervening and Treating Traumatized Older Adults