Faculty: Kymberlee O'Brien, MEd, PhD

Kymberlee O'Brien

Kymberlee O'Brien, MEd, PhD

Assistant Professor, Organizational and Leadership Psychology Department

Adjunct Faculty, Clinical Psychology Department

Faculty, Neuroscience of Leadership Psychology Concentration

Email
kymberlee_obrien@williamjames.edu
Phone
617-312-9832
Pronouns
she/her
Degree Institution
PhD Brandeis University
MEd Fitchburg State College
Postdoctoral Research Fellow Univeristy of Massachusetts–Boston/Harvard Medical School

Courses

  • Functional Neuroanatomy
  • Neuroscience of Leadership
  • Neuroscience of Leadership Lab
  • Crafting Your TED talk
  • Advanced Neuroscience Seminar
  • Capstone 1
  • Consultation
  • First Year Seminar

Research and Practice Interests

  • Neuroscience of Leadership and research lab (research design)
  • Neuroscience of Prejudice
  • Psychophysiology of Stress and intergroup relations
  • Epigenetics related to cultural and social bias and personal and organizational behavior change
  • DEI consultant in delivering implicit bias reduction training
  • Neurohack-content and practice to apply neurofeedback for behavioral and psychological change
  • Developing a Consultation practice, setting fees, branding, pitching, etc.
  • Finding and applying for grants in OD, Neuroscience, and mental health domains
  • Research on chronic stress of discrimination and microaggressions

Professional Licenses and Certifications

  • APA
  • Society for Psychophysiological Research
  • Data Analysis Training Institute of Connecticut, UCONN Workshops, CT
    • Structural Equation Modeling
    • Dyadic Data Analysis Using Multilevel Modeling IBM

Awards

  • Massachusetts Cultural Council Grant/Franklin Cultural Council 2025: Brain Fitness Across Multiple Domains
  • Faculty Seed Grant, 2023-24 Rhythm Intervention for Senior and Veteran Brain Health
  • P.I. O’Brien, C.I. Merrit. Eradicating implicit bias; a pilot study for teachers and high school POC. DOE, Esser funding. 2021-22.
  • P.I. O’Brien “An epigenetic investigation of social devaluation influences on glucocorticoid and oxytocin receptors.” National Institutes of Health via Rhode Island InBre, biomedical grant (2018-2020).
  • P.I. O’Brien “Investigating acute and chronic stress related to microaggressions as a mechanism of health disparities,” Society for Personality and Social Psychology: Inaugural Small Grant Award, 2016.
  • CO-I: O’Brien, Moore, and Lapp, “Role of oxytocin in coping with social stress: moderated by early life stress,” UMass Boston: College of Liberal Arts grant, 2015-2017.
  • P.I. O’Brien,” Transmission of Discrimination-Related Stress Reactivity and Reduction from Mother to Infant,” American Psychological Foundation Visionary Award, 2013-2015.
  • NIMHD: NIH, Loan Repayment Program for Research in Health Disparities, 2012-2014.
  • Harvard University, Sackler Scholar in Psychobiology, 2011-2012.
  • “Embodied Bias: Psychophysiological Methods in Assessing Infrahumanization of Out-group members,” International Society for Developmental Psychobiology/ University of Wisconsin, Health and Emotion Psychiatry Symposium, 2011-2013.
  • “Moral Certainty under Stress: Psychophysiological and Social Stress Influences on Moral Judgments,” American Psychological Association Dissertation Award, 2010.
  • Brandeis Provost Dissertation Award, 2010.
  • Brandeis University Prize Instructorship award for outstanding graduate students to design and instruct a specialty course: Psychophysiology, 2009.

Publications and Presentations

  • O’Brien and Tronick (2021), Neuroendocrine Associations with Chronic Social Discrimination. Under Review.
  • Romero and O’Brien (2021), Are Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Missing the Mark for Females in STEM? Under Review.
  • O’Brien, (2021). Additive Effects of Social Devaluation on Multiple Domains of Health. Under Review.
  • O’Brien, Tronick, and Moore, (2018). Maternal Education Influences on Lifetime Alterations in the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal-Axis. In Preparation, 2018.
  • O’Brien, Meyer, Tronick, and Moore, (2017). Hair Cortisol and Lifetime Discrimination; Moderation by
    Subjective Social Status. Health Psychology Open, 4(1), 2055102917695176
  • O'Brien, K. M., Tronick, E. Z., and Moore, C. L. (2013). Relationship between hair cortisol and perceived chronic stress in a diverse sample. Stress and Health, 29(4), 337-344.
  • O’Brien, K. M. (2012). Healthy, wealthy, wise? Psychosocial factors influencing the socioeconomic status–health gradient. Journal of Health Psychology, 17(8), 1142-1151.
  • O’Brien, Afzal, and Tronick, (2012). Relational psychophysiology and mutual regulation during dyadic therapeutic and developmental relating. Interdisciplinary Handbook of the Person-Centered Approach: Connections Beyond Psychotherapy, Eds. Jef Cornelius-White, Renate Motschnig, and Michael Lux.
  • O’Brien, (2011). Moral Certainty under Stress: Psychophysiological and Social Stress influences on SocioMoral Judgments. Proquest Dissertation Services.

Select Published Abstracts

Select Presentations

  • O’Brien, Emerson College: “Hair Cortisol and Chronic Social Discrimination” 2021
  • O’Brien, “How STEM initiatives may be missing the#MetToo/Times Up Mark for Female and Minority Students in STEM”. 2018 National Women in Leadership Conference/Diversity Council.
  • O’Brien, Model UN via Knovva Academy: International education company providing worldwide training excellence in global competency.
  • O’Brien, “Additive Effects of Social Devaluation on Multiple Domains of Health” Infant-Parent Mental Health Program, Dr. E.Z. Tronick, UMass Boston/Guest Lecture, 2017.
  • O’Brien, “Mental Health, Microaggressions, and Self-care”, Worcester Polytechnic Institute/National Society Black Engineers, 2017.
  • O’Brien, “Microaggressions: what are the relationships between subtle social devaluation on health, wellness, and academic performance?” Worcester Polytechnic Institute/Can We Talk Series, 2017.
  • Cyran, Leach, Perkins, Copeland, and O'Brien, “Psychological Stress and Physiological Responses: How Both Affect Cognition”, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 2017.
  • Lapp, O’Brien, and Moore, “Exploring the Development of Resilience to Adverse Effects of Social Stress on Health”, UMass Boston/Office of Health Disparities Research and Training, 2016.
  • O’Brien and Moore, “Discrimination, Affect Solidarity, and Biomarkers of Stress and Inflammation”, Society for Personality and Social Psychology, 2014.
  • O’Brien and Moore, “Health Disparities in Biological and Perceived Chronic Stress: Protections and Vulnerabilities”, Washington, DC/Summit on Health Disparities, 2013.
  • O’Brien and Mendes, “Embodied Bias: Psychophysiological Methods in Assessing Infrahumanization of Out-group members”, University of Wisconsin/Health and Emotion Psychiatry Symposium, 2012.
  • O’Brien and Moore, “Polyvictimization and the Development of Physiological Stress Systems as Intermediaries of Pathophysiology”, International Society for Developmental Psychobiology, 2011.
  • O’Brien and Rohleder, “Low Vagal tone and Threat perceptions predict refusal to harm others in high conflict dilemmas”, Society for Personality and Social Psychology, 2011.
  • O’Brien, Wingfield, and Rohleder, “It’s Not all downhill from here: Attenuated Autonomic Reactivity with Age and Moral Stability under Stress”, Society for Personality and Social Psychology, 2011.
  • O’Brien and Mendes, “Psychophysiological Measures of Implicit Racial Bias between White and Arab Americans.” Harvard Kennedy School of Government, 2010.

Concurrent Leadership, Service and Professional Activities

  • Curriculum Committee, Organizational and Leadership Psychology
  • Research Committee, Organizational and Leadership Psychology

Prior Experience

  • University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA
  • Postdoctoral Fellow in Developmental Psychobiology
  • Research Associate in Psychology
  • Consulting on statistical analysis for epigenetic and psychophysical studies on early life adversity, stress, and biomarkers
  • Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, Co-Investigator in Harvard Health and Psychophysiology Lab and Kennedy School Decision Sciences
  • Research Assistant in Harvard Health and Psychophysiology Lab
  • Research Assistant, Harvard School of Public Health

Professional Affiliations

  • University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA
  • Emerson College
  • Northeastern University
  • Worcester Polytechnic Institute
  • Harvard Kennedy School
  • Harvard Health and Psychophysiology Lab

Community Involvement

  • Research Director and Consultant with Sankofa Synergy Alliance, developing and implementing evidence-based implicit bias reduction training.
  • Crafting Content and Storytelling Webinar for Global Psi Chi, April 2025
  • Neuroscience for Kids, Boston Public Library, April 2025

Other

  • Director of Neuophysiology Research Lab