Rachel Siciliano
Graduate Student
Research Area: Clinical Science
Stress, trauma, and adversity, risk for psychopathology, and the development and implementation of interventions in at-risk youth and families
My primary research interests include risk and resilience factors for children at risk for psychopathology, including coping, emotion regulation, and physiological effects of stress, particularly in families exposed to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and trauma. I am also interested in the development and implementation of interventions targeting youth symptoms and caregiver relationships. I have worked on multiple projects in the Stress and Coping Lab, including assessment of cognitive function and coping in youth with brain tumors, congenital heart defects, and sickle cell disease, as well as an intervention for parents with depression and their children.
Representative Publications
PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS
Prussien, K. V., Compas, B.E., Siciliano, R.E., Ciriegio, A.E., Lee, C.A., Kassim, A.A., DeBaun, M.R., Donahue, M.J., Jordan, L.C. (2021). Cerebral Hemodynamics and Executive Function in Sickle Cell Anemia. Stroke, 52(5), 1830-1834.
Siciliano, R.E., Thigpen, J.C., Desjardins, L., Cook, J.L., Steele, E.H., Gruhn, M.A., Ichinose, M., Park, S., Esbenshade, A.J., Pastakia, D., Wellons, J.C., Compas, B.E. (2021). Working Memory Training in Pediatric Brain Tumor Survivors After Recent Diagnosis: Challenges and Initial Effects. Applied Neuropsychology: Child, 1-10.
Bettis, A.H., Siciliano, R.E., Rogers, B.P., Ichinose, M., Compas, B.E. (2021). Neural Correlates of Coping/Emotion Regulation and Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression in Youth. Child Neuropsychology, 1-14.
Prussien, K. V., Siciliano, R.E., Ciriegio, A.E., Lee, C.A., DeBaun, M.R., Jordan, L.C., Compas, B.E. (2021). Preliminary Study of Coping, Perceived Control, and Depressive Symptoms in Youth with Sickle Cell Anemia. Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, 42(6), 485-489.
Henry, L.M., Gracey, K., Shaffer, A., Ebert, J., Kuhn, T., Watson, K.H., Gruhn, M.A., Vreeland, A.J., Siciliano, R.E., Dickey, L., Lawson, V., Broll, C., Cole, D., Compas, B.E. (2020). Comparison of Three Models of Adverse Childhood Experiences: Associations with Child and Adolescent Internalizing and Externalizing Symptoms. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 130(1), 9–25.
Siciliano, R.E., Murphy, L.K., Prussien, K.V., Henry, L.M., Watson K.H., Patel, N.J., Lee, C.A., McNally, C.M., Markham, L., Compas, B.E., Jordan, L.C. (2020). Cognitive and Attentional Function in Children with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome: A Pilot Study. Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings, 1-8.
Vreeland, A.J., Ebert, J.S., Kuhn, T.M., Gracey, K.A., Shaffer, A.M., Watson, K.H., Gruhn, M.A., Henry, L.M., Dickey, L., Siciliano, R.E., Anderson, A.A., Compas, B.E. (2020). Predictors of Placement Disruptions in Foster Care. Child Abuse & Neglect, 99, 104283.
Fraley, C.E., Thigpen, J.C., Pearson, M.M., Kuttesch, J.F., Desjardins, J., Hoskinson, K.R., Alvarado-Gonzalez, A., Esbenshade, A.J., Pastakia, D., Friedman, D.L., Wellons, J.C., McNally, C.M., Siciliano, R.E., Compas, B.E. (2019). Predictors of Cognitive Function in Pediatric Brain Tumor Patients: Pre-Surgery Through 24-Month Follow-up. Applied Neuropsychology: Child, 1-8.
Prussien, K. V., Siciliano, R. E., Ciriegio, A. E., Anderson, A. S., Sathanayagam, R., Jordan, L. C., DeBaun, M. R., & Compas, B. E. (2019). Correlates of Cognitive Function in Sickle Cell Disease: A Meta-Analysis. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 45(2), 145-155.
Jordan, L.C., Siciliano, R.E., Cole, D., Lee, C.A., Patel, N.J., Murphy, L.M., Markham, L., Prussien, K.V., Gindville, M., Compas, B.E. (2019). Cognitive Training in Children with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome: A Pilot Randomized Trial. Progress in Pediatric Cardiology, 57, 101185.
Madden, D.J., Siciliano, R.E., Tallman, C.W., Monge, Z.A., Voss, A., & Cohen, J.R. (2019). Response-Level Processing During Visual Feature Search: Effects of Frontoparietal Activation and Adult Age. Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics, 82(1), 330-349.
Siciliano, R.E., Prussien, K.V., Lee, C.A., Patel, N.J., Murphy, L.M., Compas, B.E., Jordan, L.C. (2019) Cognitive Function in Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome in Childhood and Adolescence: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 44(8), 937-947.
Monge, Z.A., Geib, B.R., Siciliano, R.E., Packard, L.E., Tallman, C.W., Madden, D.J. (2017) Functional Architecture Underlying Attentional Control in Healthy Aging. NeuroImage, 155, 257-270.
Siciliano, R.E., Madden, D.J., Tallman, C.W., Boylan, M.A., Kirste, I., Monge, Z.A., Packard, L.E., Potter, G.G., Wang, L. (2017). Task Difficulty Modulates Brain Activation for Emotional Distractors During Visual Oddball Target Detection. Brain Research, 1664, 74-86.
Madden, D.J., Parks, E.L., Tallman, C.W., Boylan, M.A., Hoagey, D.A., Cocjin, S.B., Johnson, M.A., Chou, Y.H., Potter, G.G., Chen, N.K., Packard, L.E., Siciliano, R.E., Monge, Z.A., Diaz, M.T. (2017). Frontoparietal Activation During Visual Conjunction Search: Effects of Bottom-up Guidance and Adult Age. Human Brain Mapping, 38, 2128-2149.
Madden, D.J., Parks, E.L., Tallman, C.W., Boylan, M.A., Hoagey, D.A., Cocjin, S.B., Packard, L.E., Johnson, M.A., Chou, Y.H., Potter, G.G., Chen, N.K., Siciliano, R.E., Monge, Z.A., Honig, J.A., Diaz, M.T. (2017). Sources of Disconnection in Neurocognitive Aging: Cerebral White Matter Integrity, Resting-State Functional Connectivity, and White Matter Hyperintensity Volume. Neurobiology of Aging, 54, 199-213.
Siciliano, R.E., Hirata, Y., & Kelly, S.D. (2016). Electrical Stimulation Over Left Inferior Frontal Gyrus Disrupts Hand Gesture’s Role in Foreign Vocabulary Learning. Educational Neuroscience, 1, 2377616116652402.
MANUSCRIPTS UNDER REVIEW
Siciliano, R.E., Anderson, A.S., Compas, B.E. Autonomic Nervous System Correlates of Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms in Youth: Meta-Analysis and Qualitative Review (under review).
Henry, L., Ebert, J., Kuhn, T., Watson, K., Gruhn, M., Vreeland, A., Siciliano, R.E., Anderson, A. S., Ciriegio, A., Torres, S., Cole, D., & Compas, B. E. Moment-to-moment affective synchrony in parents and their adolescents (under review).
Anderson, A.S., Siciliano, R.E., Henry, L.M., Vreeland, A.J., Gruhn, M.A., Watson, K.H., Ebert, J., Kuhn, T., Compas, B.E. Adverse Childhood Experiences, Parenting, and Socioeconomic Status: Associations with Internalizing and Externalizing Symptoms in Adolescence (under review).
Anderson, A.S., Siciliano, R.E., Gruhn, M.A., Bettis, A.H., Reising, M.M., Watson, K.H., Dunbar, J.P., Compas, B.E. Adolescents’ Coping and Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression: Associations with Age, Sex, and Peer Stress (under review).
MANUSCRIPTS IN PREPARATION
Broderick, A.V., Siciliano, R.E., Kuhn, T.M., Cyperski, M.A., Gracey, K.A. Characterizing Youth’s Emotional and Behavioral Needs Upon Entrance to State Custody (in preparation).
CONFERENCE POSTER PRESENTATIONS
Siciliano, R.E., Watson, K.H., Gruhn, M.A., Henry, L.M., Vreeland, A.J., Anderson, A.S., Ciriegio, A.E., Ebert, J., Kuhn, T., Compas, B.E. (April 2021). Exposure to Adversity and Negative Cognitive Style Independently Predict Symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress in Youth. Poster presented virtually at the Society for Research in Child Development.
Siciliano, R.E., Ebert, J., Kuhn, T., Watson, K.H., Gruhn, M.A., Vreeland, A.J., Henry, L.M., Anderson, A.S., Ciriegio, A.E., Torres, S., Compas, B.E. (November 2020). Current Stress Moderates the Association Between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression in Youth. Poster presented virtually at the Association for Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies Conference. Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Broderick, A.V., Siciliano, R.E., Kuhn, T.M., Cyperski, M.A., Gracey, K.A. (2020, June). Characterizing youth's emotional and behavioral needs upon entrance to state custody. Poster presented virtually at the 2020 Vanderbilt University Medical Center Academic Psychiatry Day. Nashville, TN, USA.
Siciliano, R.E., Anderson, A.S., Henry, L.M., Ebert, J., Kuhn, T., Watson, K.H., Gruhn, M.A., Vreeland, A.J., Ciriegio, A.E., Torres, S., Compas, B.E. (May 2020). Adolescent Coping Moderates the Association of Childhood Emotional Abuse and Neglect and Adolescent Internalizing Symptoms. Association for Psychological Science Conference, Chicago, IL, USA. (Not presented due to COVID-19 pandemic).
Siciliano, R.E., Cook, J.L., Lawson, V.N., Desjardins, L., Compas, B.E. (March 2020). Coping and Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms in Adolescent Brain Tumor Patients During Treatment. Society for Research on Adolescence. San Diego, CA, USA. (Not presented due to COVID-19 pandemic).
Siciliano, R.E., Watson, K.H., Bettis, A.H., Gruhn, M.A., Dunbar, J., Reising, M., Compas, B.E. (November 2019). Adolescent Coping and Current Parental Depression Moderate the Relationship Between Adolescent Stress and Anxiety and Depression Symptoms. Association for Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies Conference. Atlanta, GA, USA.
Siciliano, R.E., Prussien, K.V., Lee, C.A., Patel, N.J., Compas, B.E., Jordan, L.C. (April 2019). Cognitive Functioning in Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome in Childhood: A Meta-Analysis. Society of Pediatric Psychology Annual Conference. New Orleans, LA, USA.
Siciliano, R.E., Gruhn, M.A., Lawson, V.N., Cook, J.L., Sathanayagam, R., Merritt, K.L., Compas, B.E. (November 2018). Primary and Secondary Control Coping Strategies Predict Posttraumatic Stress, Depressive, and Anxious Symptoms in Parents of Pediatric Brain Tumor Patients. Association for Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies Conference. Washington D.C., USA.
Henry, L., Gracey, K., Schaffer, A., Ebert, J., Kuhn, T., Watson, K. H., Gruhn, M., Vreeland, A., Siciliano, R., Dickey, L., Lawson, V., Broll, C., & Compas, B. E. (November 2018). Measuring early adversity in children: Categorical and dimensional approaches to the dimensional model of adversity and psychopathology. Association for Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies Conference. Washington D.C., USA.
Siciliano, R.E., Gruhn, M.A., Steele, E., Vreeland, A.J., Cook, J.L., Lawson, V.N., Merritt, K.L., Ichinose, M., Desjardins, L., Compas, B.E. (May 2018). Working Memory and Coping as Predictors of Social Functioning in Pediatric Brain Tumor Survivors. Association for Psychological Science Conference, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Henry, L., Gracey, K., Schaffer, A., Ebert, J., Kuhn, T., Watson, K. H., Gruhn, M., Vreeland, A., Siciliano, R., Dickey, L., Lawson, V., Broll, C., & Compas, B. E. (May 2018). Threat and deprivation: Early adversities as predictors of child and adolescent internalizing and externalizing psychopathology. Association for Psychological Science Conference, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Madden, D.J., Siciliano, R.E., Monge, Z.A., Voss, A., Cohen, J.R. (May 2018). Frontoparietal Activation during Visual Feature Search: Drift-Diffusion Model Components and Age-Related Differences. Cognitive Aging Conference, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Madden, D.J., Parks, E.L., Tallman, C.W., Boylan, M.A., Hoagey, D.A., Cocjin, S.B., Packard, L.E., Johnson, M.A., Chou, Y.H., Potter, G.G., Chen, N.K., Siciliano, R.E., Monge, Z.A., Honig, J.A., Diaz, M.T. (June 2017). Sources of Disconnection in Neurocognitive Aging: Cerebral White Matter Integrity, Resting-State Functional Connectivity, and White Matter Hyperintensity Volume. Organization for Human Brain Mapping, Vancouver, British Colombia, Canada.
Honig, J.A., Parks, E.L., Tallman, C.W., Packard, L.E., Siciliano, R.E., Monge, Z.A., Madden, D.J. (April 2016). Age-related decline in cerebral white matter integrity: the relative importance of age and white matter hyperintensities. Duke Graduation with Distinction Showcase, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
Siciliano, R., Polesskaya, O., Dewhurst, S. (August 2014). A novel model for neuroAIDS: Tat protein expression from AAV2 under a microglia-specific promoter. URMC Summer Scholars Poster Session, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA.
CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS
Broderick, A.V., Siciliano, R.E., Kuhn, T.M., Gracey, K.A. (October 2021). Utilizing CANS ratings to understand co-occurring emotional and behavioral needs upon entrance to state custody. Transformational Collaborative Outcomes Management. Lexington, KY, USA.
Gruhn, M.A., Watson, K.H., Henry, L.M., Vreeland, A.J., Siciliano, R.E., Anderson, A.A., Dickey, L., Ebert, J., Kuhn, T., Compas, B.E. (November 2019). Physiologic and Cognitive-behavioral Responses to Stress as Predictors of Internalizing Problems in Youth With and Without Trauma Histories. Association for Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies Conference. Atlanta, GA, USA.
Siciliano, R.E., Prussien, K.V., Lee, C.A., Patel, N.J., Compas, B.E., Jordan, L.C. (April 2019). Cognitive Functioning in Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome in Childhood: A Meta-Analysis. Presented at the Society of Pediatric Psychology Annual Conference. New Orleans, LA, USA.
Honors
Russell G. Hamilton Graduate Leadership Institute Grant | Vanderbilt University 2021
Lisa M. Quesenberry Foundation Fund | Community Foundation of Louisville 2021
Abby and Jon Winkelried Fellowship | Vanderbilt University 2020 - 2021