PhD graduate Keri West shares insights from research on the impacts of adverse childhood experiences across the life course and her new role at California State University, San Bernardino
Categories: PhD students, Research, StudentsKeri West received her PhD from the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work on October 28th. We asked her to share key takeaways from her dissertation, memories from her time as a student, and what’s next in her career!
Keri West (left) introducing Professor Esme Fuller-Thomson to her daughter in 2021
What was the focus of your dissertation?
My dissertation tested a structural model of adverse childhood experiences and chronic inflammatory diseases (asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) in mid- to late-life. Using data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging, I examined putative social, psychological, and behavioral inflammatory cascades stemming from early-life hardship and victimization.
What are some key takeaways from your research that you would like people to know?
My findings suggest that adverse exposures in early life may confer vulnerability to chronic inflammatory disease across the life course, possibly through the biological embedding of stress in immune, metabolic, neural, and regulatory systems. The insidious effects of childhood maltreatment and household dysfunction are especially striking in the context of diseases that onset many decades later. Obesity and smoking appear to function as particularly potent and convergent pathways through which early adversity contributes to ACEs-related inflammatory burden. These findings highlight the importance of biologically informed social work research and practice, alongside addressing the upstream structural determinants of childhood adversity. To achieve meaningful change from a public health perspective, redistributive policies, investment in capacity-building, and reconciliation processes aimed at disrupting the intergenerational transmission of adversity must be prioritized.
Could you share a key memory or lesson from the program that has stuck with you?
Teaching at FIFSW was a deeply transformative experience for me. My students made the classroom a place of joy and community. They will always hold a very special place in my heart.
What is next for you?
In August, I joined California State University, San Bernardino as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Work. CSUSB, a federally recognized minority- and Hispanic-serving institution, consistently ranks among the top in the nation for social mobility and is one of the most diverse academic communities in the region. I look forward to contributing to the school’s equity and social justice mission in Southern California’s Inland Empire.
I am also continuing to collaborate with FIFSW students and faculty on a program of research focused on neurodiversity among social work students and practitioners, as well as scholarship on culturally responsive evidence-based practice.
What advice do you have for new or current PhD students at FIFSW?
Get a cat.
Friends for life
West developed deep friendships during her time at FIFSW, including Andrea Greenblatt, Vivian Leung, and Christina Hyland, all of whom are pictured in this series of photos that West shared, taken over the course of their PhD. “We supported each other through the program,” she says, “and there have been three marriages, three babies, new jobs, and big moves among this little group since we met.”