Laura Simich

Background

About Laura Simich

Prior to becoming a consultant, Laura had 30 years of experience conducting research in Canada and the U.S. Laura joined the Vera Institute of Justice's Center on Immigration and Justice in 2011. At Vera, her research focused on improving ways to identify and victims of hate crime and human trafficking and addressing the needs of unaccompanied migrant youth. She has also led research teams in evaluating legal information programs serving immigrant children and adults. From to 2010, she was a research scientist at one of Canada’s largest research and teaching hospitals, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto. She was also appointed Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto. Laura has specialized in community-based, policy-oriented, mixed-methods research with service providers, government agencies and many refugee and immigrant communities, and has conducted 30 studies, 19 as principal investigator. Her primary research interests are forced migration, resettlement, victimization, resilience, and social support. Laura has authored more than 60 peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, research reports, policy briefs, and public and professional educational materials for a variety of audiences. In 2014, she published a co-edited book, Refuge and Resilience: Promoting Resilience and Mental Health among Resettled Refugees and Forced Migrants (Springer). Laura holds a BA from Indiana University and an MA and PhD in Anthropology from Columbia University.