Welcome to the Women’s Mental Health Program!

The Women’s Mental Health Program (WHMP) is dedicated to supporting expecting mothers through pregnancy and during the early years of life of her child. At the WMHP, we hope to better understand transgenerational effects of maternal psychopathology and trauma on the behavioral development, neural circuitry, and vulnerability to stress of her child.

The WMHP is a collaborative work environment under the direction of Dr. Stowe and other affiliated investigators in the fields of mathematics, clinical psychology, and psychiatry here at UW-Madison and at the Emory School of Medicine and University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Through this approach, the WMHP is dedicated to cutting-edge research to further the understanding of the maternal biological and genetic influence of trauma and psychopathology on the development of a fetus and child.

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Research Opportunities


IMPACT Study

The purpose of this research study is to find out how maternal history of trauma and current psychological functioning impacts a child’s brain activity.

Pregnancy, Motherhood, and Learning Study

The purpose of this research study is to understand emotions, mental health, and learning in pregnancy and postpartum period.

Join the Program

We welcome innovation and creativity and a desire to learn in this interdisciplinary work environment, so there will be opportunities to cultivate your research interests. The ideal candidate would be studying psychology, neurobiology, or applied mathematics with an interest in clinical psychology or a related field. Opportunities to earn credit are available.

If interested, please contact us.