Dr. Karla Shockley, PhD, LMSW, TRCC, FSW, is a Principal Investigator and Senior Research Consultant at the Ohio Colleges of Medicine Government Resource Center, where she leads applied health services and population health research. Her work integrates collaborative team-based design and implementation of mixed methods studies with independent contributions in survey development, data analysis, and dissemination across qualitative and quantitative domains. She focuses on translating complex data into actionable insights that inform public health policy and practice. Dr. Shockley’s research also emphasizes trauma-responsive care and systems—with a particular focus on family violence and brain injury, occupational well-being, and systems equity. She applies a transdisciplinary lens, drawing from social work, education, and geospatial science, to examine how structural and environmental conditions shape outcomes for children, families, and frontline professionals.

Dr. Shockley’s scholarship includes peer-reviewed publications in journals such as Child Abuse & Neglect, Journal of Family Violence, Social Science & Medicine, and BMC Public Health. Her research employs advanced methodologies, including mixed methods design, structural equation modeling, GIS, process evaluation, measure development and validation, and implementation science. She has led and contributed to studies on child maltreatment, intimate partner violence, opioid misuse, and suicidality among youth, using both primary and secondary data sources—often using large administrative datasets and spatial analysis—to uncover patterns of harm and resilience. Her work has been presented at national and international conferences, including the Society for Social Work and Research, the Council on Social Work Education, and the American Public Health Association.

Her research interests span healthcare and education systems quality and access, child and family resilience, trauma-informed interventions, financial policy and inclusion, violence in families, and the role of relationships and belongingness in promoting well-being. She is particularly focused on how identity and structural inequities intersect to influence life course outcomes and the development of data-driven community-centered solutions. Dr. Shockley brings over 25 years as an educator, seven years as a licensed mental health professional, and six years as a certified financial social worker. She also serves as a research affiliate for the Center for Brain Injury Recovery & Discovery, where she collaborates on initiatives addressing the intersection of domestic violence and brain injury.

Karla Shockley is the Co-Director of the ISSUES Lab.

Certifications

• Licensed Social Worker - Ohio, 2018
• Trauma-Responsive Care, 2020
• Financial Social Worker, 2019
• Nurtured Heart Approach Advanced Trainer, 2018
• Secondary Social Studies Educator - Pennsylvania & Ohio, 1996

Awards and honours

• Picker Gold Challenge Grant, The Arnold P. Gold Foundation, 2023
• Enterprise Research Grant Award, The Ohio State University Office of Diversity and Inclusion, 2022
• PhD Research Seed Grant, The Ohio State University College of Social Work, 2022
• Institute on Teaching and Mentoring Scholarship, The Ohio State University College of Social Work, 2023
• Graduate Associate Performance Award, The Ohio State University, 2021
• Life Paths Promising Scholar Award - Honorable Mention, Life Paths Research Center, 2020