I went to Northwestern for my undergraduate studies and loved the environment, so I was excited to return for graduate school.”
Linzy Pinkerton (she/her)
PhD Candidate in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences
Linzy Pinkerton is a PhD candidate in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences in the Feinberg School of Medicine. She is passionate about community-based solutions for preventing violence and trauma and improving community mental health outcomes. Linzy is interested in working with children, adolescents, and their support systems to promote resiliency and raise awareness of strengths. She is also a graduate research assistant at Northwestern’s Center for Child Trauma Assessment, Services & Integration (CCTASI) and part of the Family Coaching, Advocacy, Resources, and Evaluation (CARE) Parenting Lab.
How would you describe your research and/or work to a non-academic audience?
My research focuses on improving access to parenting and mental health services for underserved children and families as well as promoting trauma-informed care in child-serving systems.
Tell us what inspired your research and/or work.
As part of my clinical work I have seen how a child's success in therapy can be very dependent on their parents' capacity to support them and their goals. This inspired me to become interested in supporting the entire family's mental health and bolstering parent functioning in order to help children.
Why Northwestern?
I bleed purple. I went to Northwestern for my undergraduate studies and loved the environment, so I was excited to return for graduate school. The professors are experts in their fields while still being approachable, and the campuses are beautiful!
What did you originally want to be when you grew up?
When I was younger, I wanted to be President of the United States; once I learned more about politics, I realized it was not for me.
What advice would you give your younger self or someone considering a similar path?
Getting a PhD is a long process. There will be times when you think you can't do it, but remember that you aren't in this alone, and you can do this.
Tell us about a current achievement or something you're working on that excites you.
I'm currently working on my dissertation where I'm doing focus group interviews with parents of young children, and it has been very exciting to learn from these parents and watch them interact with one another.
What are you most proud of in your career to date?
I think that being a parent is one of the most important jobs a person can hold. Taking care of another human and helping them develop is a large job yet there is no parenting handbook or "on the job" training provided. I feel privileged to be able to help parents navigate the ups and downs of raising a child and normalizing how challenging it can be.
Publish Date: March 26, 2023
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