Cornell University, B.A. (2002)

Temple University, Ph.D. (2011)

Clinical Internship – University of Illinois at Chicago (2010 - 2011)

Research Interests

The overarching aim of my research is to examine the processes underlying the etiology and chronicity of depression and self-harm behaviors. My primary focus in this regard is the transactional relation between stressful life events and self-harm, depression, and depressogenic vulnerabilities. Drawing on the stress-depression literature, my current projects include an assessment of the role of stressful life events in the onset and recurrence of suicidal behavior.

Selected Publications

Alloy, L. B., Liu, R. T., & Bender, R. E. (2010). Stress generation research in depression: A commentary.

     International Journal of Cognitive Therapy, 3, 379-387. doi: 10.1521/ijct.2010.3.4.380

Liu, R. T., Jager-Hyman, S., Wagner, C. A., Alloy, L. B., & Gibb, B. E. (in press). Number of childhood abuse

     perpetrators and the occurrence of depressive episodes in adulthood. Child Abuse & Neglect.

 

Liu, R. T., & Mustanski, B. (in press). Suicidal ideation and self-harm in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transsexual

     youth. American Journal of Preventive Medicine.          

 

Liu, R. T., Vassileva, J., Gonzalez, R., & Martin, E. M. (in press). A comparison of delay discounting among

     substance users with and without suicide attempt history. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors.

 

Liu, R. T., & Alloy, L. B. (2010). Stress generation in depression: A systematic review of the empirical literature and

     recommendations for future study. Clinical Psychology Review, 30, 582-593. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2010.04.010

Liu, R. T., Alloy, L. B., Abramson, L. Y., Iacoviello, B. M., & Whitehouse, W. G. (2009). Emotional maltreatment

     and depression: Prospective prediction of depressive episodes. Depression and Anxiety, 26, 174-181. doi:

     10.1002/da.20545