Manessa Riser

A research professional with strong background in academic research and data-driven analysis. Proven ability to contribute to impactful research projects and adapt to evolving research needs. Known for collaborative spirit and consistent focus on achieving project goals. Proficient in statistical analysis, laboratory techniques, and academic writing.

• Society for Research on Adolescence | 2024 – Present
• International Society for Developmental Psychobiology (ISDP) | 2023 - Present
• Anxiety & Depression Association of America (ADAA) | 2022 – Present
• Society for Neuroscience (SfN) – Michigan Chapter | 2022 – Present
• NuRhoPsi National Honor Society | 2024 - Present
• Black in Neuro (BiN) | 2022 - Present

• Graduate Research Assistant | Aug 2022 - Present Wayne State University | Detroit Trauma Project Advisor: Tanja Jovanovic, PhD
• Clinical Research Coordinator | Jan 2020 – July 2022 Neuroscience Center for Anxiety, Stress and Trauma (NeuroCAST); Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI PI: Seth Norrholm, PhD
• Research Intern | Mar 2020 - July 2022 Detroit Trauma Project (DTP); Wayne State University, Detroit, MI PI: Tanja Jovanovic, PhD
• Research Assistant | Mar 2019 - Dec 2019 ELECTRA Study; Institute of Gerontology; Wayne State University, Detroit, MI PIs: Voyko Kavcic, PhD and Bruno Giordani,PhD (University of Michigan)
• Laboratory Intern | Sept 2012- June 2013 Institute of Gerontology; Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI PI: Naftali Raz, PhD and Cheryl Dahle, PhD

• Science Policy & Advocacy for Research Competition (SPARC) series C. Achat-Mendes, A. Bankston | Universities Research Association (URA) Spring 2024 (Virtual)
• Introduction to Data Management and Statistical Analysis in R Research Design and Analysis Unit, Wayne State University Summer 2023
• FMRI Image Acquisition and Analysis Course V. Calhoun, K. Kiehl, T. Wagner | TReNDS Center June 2023 (Virtual)

• Riser, M. (2025, January 7) “Childhood Trauma & Development: Brain Activity, Parenting Influences and Long Term Outcomes," [TNP Seminar]. Wayne State University, Detroit, MI.
• Riser, M. (2024, December 3) “Parenting as a Buffer: Mitigating Trauma's Disruption of Brain Structure and Function” [TNP 3-minute Thesis], Translational Neuroscience Program, Wayne State University. Detroit, MI
• Riser, M. (2024, June 13) “Sex-Specific Associations Between Brain Activity and Future PTSD Symptoms in Trauma-Exposed Youth," [Oral]. NEURAL Conference, University of Alabama. Birmingham, AL
• Riser, M. (2024, February 6) “Brain Activity During Childhood May Predict Future PTSD Symptoms in Early Adolescent Females, but not Males: Insights from a Longitudinal Study," [Student Keynote Speaker]. Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
• Riser, M. (2024, February 6) “Nurturing Resilience: Examining The Longitudinal Effects of Childhood Trauma on Inhibitory Control and the Predictive Role of Parenting in Mitigation," [TNP Seminar]. Wayne State University, Detroit, MI.
• Riser, M. (2023, November 28) “Navigating Childhood Trauma: The Interplay of Inhibitory Control and Caregiver Behaviors on the Developmental Canvas” [TNP 3-minute Thesis], Translational Neuroscience Program, Wayne State University. Detroit, MI
• Riser, M. (2023, March 27) “Exploring Adolescent Psychopathology Through the Lens of Inhibitory Control in the Context of Trauma," [TNP Seminar]. Wayne State University, Detroit, MI.

• Riser, M., Wiltshire, CN, Valbrun, S., Basarkod, S., Valbrun, S., France, J. & Jovanovic, T. “Echoes of Trauma: How Maternal Childhood Abuse and Parenting Stress Impact Fear Responses in Children”. Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) Annual Conference, April 2025. Las Vegas, NV.
• Riser, M., Wiltshire, CN, Valbrun, S., Basarkod, S., & Jovanovic, T. “Sex-Specific Associations Between Brain Activity & Future PTSD Symptoms in Trauma-Exposed Youth”. Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minoritized Scientists (ABRCMS), November 2024. Pittsburgh, PA.
• Riser, M., Wiltshire, CN, Davie, WM, Reda, MH, France, JM, Valbrun, S., Basarkod, S., Winters, S., Stenson, AH, & Jovanovic, T. “Predicting Future PTSD Symptoms: Sex-Specific Vulnerability Linked to Childhood Brain Activity in Trauma-Exposed Youth”. Society of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology (SCCAP) Future Directions Forum, July 2024. Columbus, OH
• Riser, M., Wiltshire, CN, Davie, WM, Reda, MH, France, JM, Wanna, C, Burnett, T., Winters, S., Stenson, AH, & Jovanovic, T. “Brain Activity During Childhood May Predict Future PTSD Symptoms in Early Adolescent Females, but not Males: Insights from a Longitudinal Study”. Society of Biological Psychiatry Conference, May 2024. Austin, TX
• Riser, M., Wiltshire, CN, Davie, WM, Reda, MH, France, JM, Wanna, C, Burnett, T., Winters, S., Stenson, AH, & Jovanovic, T. “Anxiety During Childhood May Predict PTSD symptoms in Early Adolescent Females, but not Males”. ADAA Conference, April 2024. Boston, MA
• Riser, M., Wiltshire, CN, Davie, WM, Reda, MH, France, JM, Wanna, C, Burnett, T., Winters, S., Stenson, AH, & Jovanovic, T. “Unveiling Vulnerability: Childhood Anxiety May Predict PTSD Symptoms in Early Adolescent Females, but not Males”. Lifespan Alliance Research Day, April 2024. Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute, Detroit, MI
• Riser, M., Wiltshire, CN, Davie, WM, Reda, MH, France, JM, Wanna, C, Burnett, T., Winters, S., Stenson, AH, & Jovanovic, T. “Childhood Anxiety May Predict PTSD Symptoms in Early Adolescent Females, but not Males”. Graduate Research Symposium, February 2024. Detroit, MI
• Riser, M., Wiltshire, CN, Davie, WM, Reda, MH, France, JM, Wanna, C, Burnett, T., Winters, S., Stenson, AH, & Jovanovic, T. “Childhood Anxiety May Predict PTSD Symptoms in Early Adolescent Females, but not Males”. Developmental Affective Neuroscience Symposium, November 2023. Pittsburgh, PA
• Riser, M., Woodford J., Reffi, A., Drake, C., Norrholm, SD., Jovanovic, T. “Fear-Potentiated Startle is a Psychophysiological Marker of Sleep Reactivity”. Translational Neuroscience Research Symposium, May 2023, Detroit, MI
• Riser, M., Woodford J., Reffi, A., Drake, C., Norrholm, SD., Jovanovic, T. “Sleep Reactivity is Associated with Fear-Potentiated Startle”. Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) Annual Conference, April 2023, Washington, D.C.

Peer Reviewed:

• Riser, M., Trentacosta, C., Jovanovic, T. Weaving Invisible Threads: How Caregiver Trauma Shapes Parenting and Child Developmental Patterns. (review paper) – submitted, in review
• Norrholm, S., Laymon, J., Szewczuk, M., Weingast, L., Innocente, B., Berfield, J., Riser, M., Woodford, J., Noetzel, J., Jovanovic, T., Acierno, R., Davis, L. (2025) Female Veterans with Military Sexual Trauma History and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Display Impaired Fear Extinction Learning (original data manuscript) – submitted, in revie
• France, J. M., Reda, M., Marusak, H. A., Riser, M., Wiltshire, C. N., Davie, W. M., Grasser, L. R., Wanna, C. P., Stenson, A. F., Ely, T. D., Norrholm, S. D., Stevens, J. S., & Jovanovic, T. (2022). Anxiety, fear extinction, and threat-related amygdala reactivity in children exposed to urban trauma. Journal of Experimental Psychopathology, 13(4), 204380872211325. https://doi.org/10.1177/20438087221132501
• Riser M., Norrholm SD. Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase Activating Peptide and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder: From Bench to Bedside. Frontiers in Psychiatry. 2022 Jul 5;13:861606. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.861606
• Reist, C., Jovanovic, T., Kantarovich, D., Weingast, L., Hollifield, M., Novin, M., Khalaghiazadeh, S., Jafari, B., George, R., Riser, M., Woodford, J., & Norrholm, S. D. (2021). An analysis of fear inhibition and fear extinction in a sample of veterans with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA): Implications for co-morbidity with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Behavioural brain research, 404, 113172. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113172

Contributing Authorship on Abstracts:

• Laymon, J., Weingast, L., Innocente, B., Riser, M., Woodford, J., Acierno, R., Davis, L., Norrholm, S. Female Veterans with Military Sexual Trauma (MST) History Display Impaired Fear Extinction Learning. Anxiety and Depression Association of America Annual Conference, April 2024, Boston, MA.
• Burnett, TE, Davie, WM., Wiltshire, CN., Wanna, CP., Reda, MH., France, JM., Riser, M., Winters, S., George, SA., Stenson, AF., Norrholm, SD., Jovanovic, T. The impact of parental COVID-19 stress on long term anxiety in their children. Anxiety and Depression Association of America Annual Conference, April 2023, Washington, D.C.
• France J, Marusak H, Reda M, Wiltshire C, Davie W, Wanna C, Riser M, Stenson A, Ely T, Norrholm S, Stevens J, and Jovanovic T. Anxiety, Fear Load, and Threat-Related Amygdala Activation in Urban Children Exposed to Violence. Anxiety and Depression Association of America Conference. (Mar 2022)
• William M. Davie, BS, Mariam Reda, BS, Charis Wiltshire, BS, Marwa Harp, BS, Jessica Woodford, MPH, Manessa Riser, BS, John France, BS, Anaïs F. Stenson, PhD, Seth D. Norrholm, PhD, Tanja Jovanovic, PhD. Childhood always catches up: History of hypertension and the association between childhood trauma profile and depression in adulthood. Anxiety and Depression Association of America; 2022 March 17-20.
• Wiltshire CN., Stenson, A.F., Reda. M.H., Davie, W.M., Harp, M., Woodford, J., Riser, M., France, J., Norrholm, S., Jovanovic, T. Mental Health During a Pandemic: The Association Between History of Depression and Community Stress. Anxiety and Depression Association of America; 2021 March 18-19.

Book Chapter:

• Woodford J, Riser M, Norrholm SD. Understanding Human Fear Extinction: Insights from Psychophysiology. Curr Top Behav Neurosci. 2023;64:59-77. doi: 10.1007/7854_2023_435. PMID: 37528308.

Continuing Medical Education (CME):

• Riser, M., Norrholm, S.D. (2021). COVID-19: The Racial Burden of Disease. Directions in Psychiatry, 41:101-112.