Lisa Panisch
Assistant Professor
Expert in intergenerational trauma, and trauma and parenting
Lisa Panisch
Biography
Lisa S. Panisch (she/her/hers) joined the Wayne State University School of Social Work in Fall 2021 as an Assistant Professor. Prior to becoming a faculty member at the School of Social Work, Panisch was a NIMH T32 Postdoctoral Research Fellow with the Department of Psychiatry’s Center for the Study and Prevention of Suicide at the University of Rochester Medical Center. She earned her PhD degree from the Steve Hicks School of Social Work at the University of Texas at Austin (2020), her MSW degree from Florida State University, and her BA in Psychology from the University of North Florida. Her research uses an interdisciplinary approach to investigate mechanisms of intergenerational patterns of trauma transmission and interventions meant to interrupt these cycles. She studies the intersections between micro-level factors (including developmental neurobiology, mental health, and family functioning) and macro-level influences (such as historical and contemporary forms of oppression and marginalization) to gain an in-depth understanding of trauma and its consequences throughout the lifespan and across generations. Specific areas of focus include investigating how a history of trauma impacts parents during the perinatal and early postpartum period, along with the subsequent implications for parent-child attachment and the behavioral health and development of infants and children. Panisch also specializes in researching biobehavioral interventions meant to address trauma-related health and mental health challenges, especially dissociation and similar manifestations of traumatic hypoarousal responses, obsessive compulsive tendencies, and functional disorders. She also conducts intervention research on therapeutic approaches that promote parent-child attachment and well-being, with a targeted emphasis on implementation with vulnerable parents who have their own history of early maltreatment.
Panisch is a dedicated social work educator and student advocate, earning Teacher of the Year in 2023. She is committed to trauma-informed, student-centered teaching practices, and is passionate about helping prepare MSW students to become competent, compassionate, and effective clinicians. Panisch is currently engaged in a line of research evaluating technological innovations meant to enhance opportunities for MSW students to practice engaging with clients in simulated therapeutic interactions as part of their clinical mental health training.
Degrees and Certifications
- PhD, University of Texas at Austin
- MSW, Florida State University
- BA (Psychology), University of North Florida
Teaching Interests
- Interpersonal Practice with Children, Adults, and Families
- Advanced Interpersonal Practice for Individuals with Trauma & PTSD
- Trauma-Informed Child Welfare Practice
- Infant Mental Health Practice & Assessment
- Child Development
- Transdisciplinary Research and Practice in the Social and Biological Sciences
- Human Behavior in the Social Environment
- Social Work Practice with Groups
Areas of Expertise
- Intergenerational Patterns of Trauma
- Developmental Trauma and its Biobehavioral Consequences Across the Lifespan
- Parental Trauma Exposure during the Perinatal and Early Postpartum Period
- Trauma Exposure and Parenting Influences on Early Child Attachment and Development
- Trauma-Exposed Parents and the Child Welfare System
- Biobehavioral Interventions for Developmental Trauma Exposure
- Intersections of Micro, Macro/Systemic, and Historical Exposure to Trauma
Pronouns
she/her/hers