Jessica Leigh Hamilton Ph.D.

Jessica Leigh Hamilton, Ph.D., (she/her/hers) is an Assistant Professor at Rutgers University in the Department of Psychology. She is the director of The Hamilton Lab, where she leads a team of students and researchers in "the lab where it happens." Her research aims to identify risk factors for the development and worsening of depression and suicidality (i.e., suicidal thoughts and behavior) among adolescents. Dr. Hamilton focuses on factors that are actionable and important in adolescent development, with a focus on sleep and social media as both potential risk factors and opportunities for intervention. The broader goal of her research is to inform the development of prevention programs for adolescent mental health that are accessible to youth.

Dr. Hamilton received her B.A. in Psychology and History from Swarthmore College. She was awarded her PhD in Clinical Psychology from Temple University and completed her clinical internship at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic (WPIC) in Pittsburgh, PA. Dr. Hamilton then received postdoctoral training in sleep medicine at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Hamilton's research has been funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and other nonprofit foundations. She has published widely on adolescent sleep, mood, and suicide risk in top-tier journals and has several book chapters on digital mental health interventions. Dr. Hamilton has received national awards and recognition, including being named a ‘Rising Star’ by the Association for Psychological Science. She is very active in professional service and advocacy, serves on three editorial boards, regularly reviews for clinical and developmental psychology journals, and works closely with high school students in her youth advisory boards.

Dr. Hamilton is committed to promoting an inclusive and equitable environment in her research, teaching, and mentorship, as well as more broadly within academia. She hopes to make clinical psychological science more accessible to the public, and level the playing field for those who are interested in pursuing careers in clinical psychology.