Bio
Victoria O. Nguyen is a licensed behavioral and mental health clinician and a doctoral candidate at the Columbia University School of Social Work. As part of her doctoral training, she was awarded an NIH TL1 predoctoral fellowship in clinical and translational science, completing two years of integrated training at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. Her research investigates biological signals of stress, trauma, and social adversity as early indicators of systemic disease, using epigenetic mechanisms, specifically DNA methylation, as biomarkers of accelerated biological aging and mental health outcomes. Her work aims to advance early risk detection and prevention strategies that promote equitable well-being in both community and healthcare settings. She has received national and international recognition, including awards from the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies and the Society for Research in Child Development.
At the Social Intervention Group, Victoria is contributing to the work of Dr. Alissa Davis on the Adolescent Responses to COVID-19 study, which aims to examine adolescents' stress responses via mobile app and smartwatch physiological assessment measures and evaluate the impact of a mobile mental health app on adolescent mental health outcomes.