Hillman Scholar Alumna Laura Sinko Leading Two New Research Projects on Survivor-Centered Healing

Dr. Laura Sinko, a Hillman Scholar alumna from the University of Michigan (’19), is spearheading two groundbreaking research projects aimed at enhancing healing-centered outcomes for survivors of sexual harm and gender-based violence (GBV).

The first project, funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), is titled “Building Capacity for Sexual Harm Survivors With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) to Engage in Healing-Centered Outcomes Research.” This project focuses on involving survivors with IDD as active participants in Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (PCOR) and Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER). The goal is to create a trauma-informed, community-driven training program that empowers survivors with IDD to lead future research studies. The team aims to develop a training guide, train a cohort of survivors as trauma-informed researchers, and establish a roadmap for a survivor-led study on healing after sexual harm.

Sinko is also the recipient of a K01 Career Development Award, supporting her second project focused on refining and testing PEARL, an innovative photo-elicitation intervention designed to promote healing among women survivors of GBV. This study will include cisgender heterosexual women, sexual minority women, and trans women, addressing significant gaps in GBV research and intervention development. Using a mixed-methods, community-engaged approach, Sinko’s team will evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of PEARL in both English- and Spanish-speaking populations. The project aims to provide inclusive, culturally sensitive support for survivors and inform future interventions.

Sinko’s work continues to advance trauma-informed research and intervention strategies, creating pathways for more inclusive and survivor-centered approaches to healing.