Life Paths Research Center

Life Paths Research Center is a center for resilience and social justice research based in rural Appalachia. Our primary mission is to reduce the burden of trauma in society. After many years of doing work that was primarily focused on establishing r work that was primarily focused on establishing rates, risk factors, and consequences of trauma, our Director, Dr. Sherry Hamby, has shifted to strengths-based approaches as the most promising pathway to reducing people’s trauma dose, worldwide. We study a range of individual, family, and community strengths that can help people overcome trauma. We are especially interested in the underappreciated strengths of marginalized communities, in Appalachia and elsewhere. The primary activities at Life Paths Research Center are conducting research and other scholarship, hosting ResilienceCon, providing talks and trainings, and promoting the professional development of other scholars and professionals. ...view more