Judite Blanc, Ph.D

I am a Research Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. I have an ethnographic skillset to understand unique stress responses among racial/ethnic/disenfranchised families. I recently completed a 3-years NIH-funded postdoctoral fellowship in population health at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, where I received extensive training and conducted hands-on research in sleep health and behavioral medicine.

 

I have a unique ability to understand vexing mental health issues by incorporating social determinants of health in a way that allows us to better understand mental health; and therefore, create solutions that address social determinants of health, which is yet to be done. My early publications advanced knowledge on specific risk and protective factors of mental health among adults, children, and mother-offspring dyads survivors of the Haiti 2010 earthquake. Most importantly, my findings underline the need to implement trauma-focused and holistic programs for pregnant women survivors of traumatic events. My work highlights the need for culturally tailored mental health programs and initiatives for survivors of trauma. Findings from my studies led to unique perspectives on the role of stress and trauma on poor health outcomes among immigrants and how psychological resilience may buffer and protect against poor sleep health outcomes.

 

Another area of my work focuses on the role of trauma and chronic stress on sleep health and mental health outcomes, especially among racial/ethnic minorities. Recently, I co-led a study with 750 participants which investigated the role of COVID stress on sleep and mental health outcomes. Findings from this study highlight the need for community- and culturally tailored clinical interventions, as we found different rates of PTSD and depression depending on ethnic/racial group and sex.  

My current research focuses specifically on multilevel determinants of mental health, sleep, and cardiovascular health among disenfranchised families (specifically Black immigrants and Hispanics/Latinos) and the development of culturally tailored mind-body medicines.