Jonathan Schaefer PhD

Dr. Jonathan D. Schaefer received his Ph.D in Clinical Psychology from Duke University and completed his postdoc at the University of Minnesota, where he was awarded a K01 Career Development Award from NIDA. Dr. Schaefer has two primary research objectives. The first is improving scientific understanding of the relationship between environmental exposures (e.g., socioeconomic disadvantage, environmental toxicants, victimization, substance use) and psychopathology, thereby generating actionable insights for interventionists, policymakers, and consumers. Work in line with this objective is explicitly multi-modal and multi-disciplinary, combining theory and methods from developmental science, clinical psychology, behavioral genetics, and psychiatric epidemiology. Specifically, it seeks to (1) determine whether associations between environmental factors and mental health represent causal processes or statistical confounding using twin and longitudinal methods, as well as (2) identify modifiable mechanisms that might drive causal effects.

Dr. Schaefer's second research objective is to contribute to the destigmatization of mental health problems and the wider uptake of evidence-based treatments. He has written several research and popular science articles showing that if people are followed long enough while being assessed frequently for mental disorders, almost everyone will accrue at least one psychiatric diagnosis at some point. For more information on Dr. Schaefer's current research, please visit his lab website. Dr. Schaefer is currently recruiting postdoctoral research associates with strong research backgrounds in clinical psychology and psychiatry. He may also be recruiting a single new graduate student this cycle (i.e., with an anticipated start date in Fall 2025). He is particularly excited to work with folks interested in the (1) environmental determinants of mental health, (2) behavioral genetics, and (3) using technology to improve the measurement of both mental health and people's social and physical environments.