Cecelia R. Valrie, PhD

Dr. Cecelia Valrie is a developmental-health psychologist. Her research primarily focuses on adjustment in children and adolescents with sickle cell disease (SCD) and their families, focusing on pain, sleep, academic functioning, and health-related outcomes. She is currently conducting research on:
(1) the temporal relationship between sleep and pain in children and adolescents with SCD, and
(2) the influence of sleep, pain, and family functioning on academic and health-related outcomes in children and adolescents with SCD.

Dr. Valrie also has research interests in the transition to adulthood for pediatric populations and the influence of socio-cultural factors on pediatric health outcomes. She is currently developing projects focusing on building resilience in children, adolescents, and young adults with a chronic illness to improve their long-term health and career outcomes, and understanding the influences of parental and family factors on preparation for transitioning to adulthood in pediatric population.

Representative Publications:

Experiences of Pediatric Patients With Sickle Cell Disease in Rural Emergency Departments

Risk and resilience factors for grade retention in youth with sickle cell disease

The influence of maternal behaviors during childhood on self-efficacy in individuals with sickle cell disease

Daily mood as a mediator or moderator of the pain-sleep relationship in children with sickle cell disease

Optimism predicting daily pain medication use in adolescents with sickle cell disease

Brief report: sleep in children with sickle cell disease: an analysis of daily diaries utilizing multilevel models