Barbara McMorris, PhD

Dr. McMorris’ research is focused on the promotion of healthy youth development and prevention of risky adolescent health behaviors, including alcohol and substance use, bullying and violent behaviors, sexual risk-taking, and mental distress.  A sociologist by training, she leads and directs analyses for community-based intervention projects and program evaluations, in addition to conducting secondary data analyses on large datasets including the Minnesota Student Survey. Dr. McMorris advises undergraduate honors students on their theses, doctoral of nursing practice students on quality improvement projects focused on public health, mental health, and midwifery, and PhD students on methodological issues and research designs for their dissertations. She enjoys teaching practical skills and professional development topics such as writing grant proposals, conducting statistical analyses and mixed methods studies, developing effective CVs and posters, and how to select an appropriate peer-reviewed journal to publish an empirical manuscript.   

• Adolescent health promotion
• Prevention of risky adolescent health behaviors, especially among youth from marginalized or stigmatized backgrounds
• Quantitative analyses
• Mixed methods

• Research methods, including mixed methods
• Developing research proposals in nursing or health sciences
• Nursing research practicum
• Professional development and skills for scholarship

• Center for Adolescent Nursing
• Center for Child and Family Health Promotion Research
• Healthy Youth Development* Prevention Research Center
• Society for Prevention Research
• Midwest Nursing Research Society 

Martin, L., McMorris, B. J., & Rider, G. N. (2023). Sex trading among cisgender boys. Pediatrics, 151(5), e2022058729. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2022-058729

Shramko, M., Beckman, K., Gadea, A., Goodhue, E., Davison, M., McCammon, R., & McMorris B. J. (2023). Contextual factors influencing whole school restorative practices implementation: A case study of a school-based pilot program in an urban school district. School Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1080/2372966X.2023.2224054

Hayes, L., LaFrinier-Ritchie, A., Matthews, N., O’Keefe, B., Perrote, N., Rider, G. N., Brown, C., Filoteo, M., Johnston-Goodstar, K., McMorris, B. J., & Martin, L. (2023). Two-Spirit identity and adolescent survey measures: Consideration of appropriation, transparency and inclusion. American Journal of Public Health, 113(11), 1153-1156. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2023.307387  

Taliaferro, L. A., Heerde, J., Toumbourou, J. T., Bailey, J., & McMorris, B. J. (2023). Adolescent predictors of deliberate self harm among young adults: A longitudinal cross-national study. Journal of Adolescent Health, 73(1) 61-69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2023.01.022

Ngabirano, T., Saftner, M., & McMorris, B. J. (2022). Exploring health behaviors in Ugandan adolescents living in rural fishing communities. Journal of School Nursing, 38(2), 148-160. https://doi.org/10.1177/1059840520947142

Miller, K. K., Saftner, M., McNamara, M., McMorris, B., & Olupot-Olupot, P. (2022). Provision of adolescent health care in resource-limited settings: Perceptions, practices, and training needs of Ugandan health care workers. Children and Youth Services Review 132, 106310.   https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2021.106310
 
Rider, G. N., McMorris, B. J., Brown, C., Eisenberg, M. E., Gower, A. L., Johnston-Goodstar, K., Filoteo, M., Singerhouse, E., & Martin, L. (2022). Mental health and protective factors for transgender and gender diverse youth who trade sex: A population-based study. American Journal of Public Health, 112, 499-508. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2021.306623

McMorris, B. J., Doty, J.,  Weiler, L., Beckman, K. J., Plowman, S., & Garcia-Huidobro, D. (2018). A typology for school-based mentoring relationships: Implications for mentor recruitment and retention. Child and Youth Services Review, 90, 147-159.   https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2018.05.019

Eisenberg, M., Gower, A. L., McMorris, B. J., Rider, G. N., & Coleman, E. (2017). Risk and protective factors in the lives of transgender/gender non-conforming adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Health, 61, 521-526. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2017.04.014 
 
McMorris, B. J., Beckman, K., Shea, G., Baumgartner, J., & Eggert, R. (2013). Applying restorative justice practices to Minneapolis public schools students recommended for possible expulsion: A pilot program evaluation of the family and youth restorative conference program: Final report. School of Nursing and Healthy Youth Development, Prevention Research Center, University of Minnesota. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oOAaA47BtH5lfb9zHpJ5oDqk0a-crUEr/view?usp=sharing

McMorris, B. J., Catalano, R. F., Kim, M-J., Toumbourou, J. W., & Hemphill, S. A. (2011). The influence of family factors and supervised alcohol use on adolescent alcohol use and harms: Similarities between youth in different alcohol policy contexts. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 72, 418-428. https://doi.org/10.15288/jsad.2011.72.418

McMorris BJ, Bell AN, Goodman L, Onchiri M, Colindres M, Sherwood N, & Arlinghaus K. (2024, March). Are Adolescents’ Social Emotional Skills and Physical Activity Levels Protective against Anxiety and Depression? Findings from the DiscoverU Afterschool Demonstration Project. Poster discussion at the annual meeting of the Midwest Nursing Research Society, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Rider GN, Johnston-Goodstar, K, Filoteo M, McMorris BJ, Brown C, & Martin L. (2023, November 2-5). Native+ Adolescents Who Trade Sex: Prevalence Rates and Disruption Strategies. Oral presentation at the 26th Congress of the World Association for Sexual Health, Antalya, Turkey.

Johnson-Goodstar K & McMorris BJ. (2021, August 24). Data from the 2019 Minnesota Student Survey on Trading Sex/Exploitation among Native + High School Students. Invited virtual presentation at the Public Quarterly Meeting of the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council.

McMorris BJ, Rider GN, Johnston-Goodstar K, Menanteau B, Palmer C, Filoteo M, & Martin L  (2021, November 21). Sexual Risk-Taking among U.S. High School Students who Trade Sex: Connections at School that Reduce Risk. Poster presented at the International Association of Adolescent Health 12th World Congress (virtual).  

Beckman K, Prim J. Shramko M, McMorris B. (2020, October). Integrating Systems Change, Theory-Driven, and Principles-Focused Evaluation to Understand Restorative Justice Practices. Paper presentation at the annual meeting of the American Evaluation Association Annual Conference (virtual).

McMorris B. (2017, November). Important Partnerships and Lessons Learned in Translating Adolescent Health Research to Practice. Presentation to the Better Together Hennepin Community Advisory Committee, Brookdale Library, Brooklyn Center, MN.

McMorris BJ, Gower A, Forster M, Snyder P, Oliphant J, Beckman K, Gloppen K, Gadea A, Plowman S, Shea G, Rebman P, Raskin E, & Sieving R. (2016, May). Fostering social emotional skills and connectedness in middle schools: Preliminary lessons learned from an effectiveness study of prevention programs. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Prevention Research, San Francisco, CA.

McMorris BJ, Johnson K, Raynor L, & Monsen K. (2013, April). What big SIZE you have? Invited paper presented at the First International Conference on Research Methods for Standardized Terminologies. Minneapolis, MN. http://omahasystempartnership.org/international-conference-on-research-methods-for-standardized-terminologies/

McMorris BJ. (2011, August). Science-based practices to reduce underage drinking. Invited plenary session at the Enforcing Underage Drinking Laws (EUDL) National Leadership Conference, Orlando, FL. http://www.nllea.org/documents/conference/NLLEA_ODDJP_Conferenceprogram_2011.pdf

Award: Leadership Education in Adolescent Health (LEAH)
Principal Investigator: Sieving, Renee E
Sponsoring Organization: US Dept. of Health & Human Services
Award Dates: 2023 - 2027

Award: Preventive Research to Disrupt Sexual Exploitation of Youth
Principal Investigator: Martin, Lauren E
Sponsoring Organization: University of Minnesota Foundation
Award Dates: 2023 - 2025

Award: Disrupting Sex Trading among LGBTQ+ Youth
Principal Investigator: McMorris, Barbara J
Sponsoring Organization: University of Minnesota Foundation
Award Dates: 2023 - 2023

Award: Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Research Center
Principal Investigator: Shlafer, Rebecca J
Sponsoring Organization: Centers for Disease Control & Prevention
Award Dates: 2019 - 2024

Award: Minnesota Student Survey Measures of Sexual Exploitation
Principal Investigator: McMorris, Barbara J
Sponsoring Organization: State of Minnesota
Award Dates: 2021 - 2022

Prevention of risky health behaviors in adolescence
Promotion of health among vulnerable populations
Program evaluation, research methods and complex statistical modeling