Pursuing social justice through public health research

Ashley Murphy ’16

Clinical Psychology Doctoral Candidate, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

MAJORS: NEUROSCIENCE AND BEHAVIOR, ENGLISH

Ashley Murphy ’16 embodies what it means to serve the whole person, using education, clinical work, and research to empower those who have disabilities. In her research as a clinical psychology Ph.D. candidate, Murphy combines her social justice and service values with her public health lens to develop mental health supports for the disability community.

After graduating from Notre Dame with degrees in neuroscience and behavior and English, Murphy took a leap of faith, turning down multiple medical school acceptances to teach special education in South Chicago with Teach for America. While initially intending to gain clarity on how to further disability rights as a physician, she discovered significant disparities in access to social emotional resources for her students, strengthening her pursuit of mental health equity for children with disabilities and their families in historically underserved communities. Murphy particularly noted the lack of parental input regarding social emotional services in special education, compelling her to work towards increasing parent voice in this critical area.

With this newfound inspiration, Murphy partnered with a professor at Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine to develop an assessment measure that increases clinician understanding of what parents need to best engage with their children’s therapy services. By increasing parent engagement in children’s therapies, Murphy hopes that children become better supported to reach their full potential. 

Murphy intends to continue supporting the development of children with disabilities and empower their parents to help their children thrive. She currently works with parents, clinicians, and community leaders to elevate the voices of individuals with disabilities and their families throughout policy and research landscapes.