Sylia Wilson, PhD, an assistant professor in the Institute of Child Development (ICD), has been named a Rising Star by the Association for Psychological Science (APS).

The award is presented to early-career APS members whose research has advanced the field of psychology and who show promise for continued research excellence. 

Nominees are evaluated based on the significance of their publications, recognitions, and discoveries, methodological innovations, or theoretical or empirical contributions, as well as the impact of their work.

Wilson uses developmental, clinical, and neuroscience methods to study the underlying processes that lead to the development of mental illness, including major depression and substance abuse. Her research aims to investigate how environmental and familial adversity during periods of rapid growth, such as infancy and adolescence, may alter brain development and increase an individual’s risk for mental illness. Her research has critical implications for slowing the progression of mental illness and for developing interventions for at-risk children, adolescents, adults, and their families.