Deadline to apply for the 2026 Susan A. Hickman Award is April 11, 2026.
The Susan A. Hickman Memorial Research Award is given each year to an individual involved in a scholarly research project that contributes to the field of perinatal mental health. The award is given yearly to 2 recipients.
The recipients are selected by the PSI Research Committee among qualified applicants. The full award for each recipient is $10,000, plus registration to attend the annual PSI Conference. The 2026 conference is June 26-28, 2026, in Los Angeles, California. Travel reimbursement is given in full for travel within the United States; partial travel is reimbursed for travel outside the U.S.
The Hickman award will be presented at the PSI annual conference.
History: The idea for an annual research award was first proposed in 1994 to promote and foster the interest of beginning researchers in the conduct of scientific investigation and knowledge development about perinatal mental health and psychiatric illness. The award was named in 1997 in honor of past PSI Board member Susan A. Hickman following her sudden death. Susan Hickman was born on April 1, 1943, and passed away on June 3, 1997. She was a psychotherapist who specialized in perinatal mood disorders in San Diego, CA, along with her husband, Dr. Robert Hickman. Susan was an expert witness in infanticide cases and an outspoken advocate for fair and competent treatment for postpartum women. Susan and Robert attended the very first PSI conference in Santa Barbara in 1987 and hosted the 1992 PSI conference in San Diego.
Eligibility of Award
The research must be related to issues of perinatal mental health. A qualified candidate for the research award will: 1) be a master’s, doctoral, post-doctoral, or research faculty member with affiliation with an accredited institution of higher education, and 2) be or become a member of Postpartum Support International, and 3) has not received the award in the last three years.
Submission Requirements
- Include a cover letter including a 2-3 sentence description of how your research is novel and specifically enhances the field of perinatal mental health.
- Provide the following information on a cover page: title of proposal, author institution, mailing address and phone.
- Submit a 3-5 page summary of the proposal. The summary should include the problem statement, question/hypothesis, conceptual base/literature review, method/design, sample description, instruments/data collection approach, procedures, and proposed budget outline (if funded, how will the funds be utilized),
- Submit documentation of “Ethical Approval” from the candidate’s representative academic institution. Examples of this can include documentation from your Institutional Review Board (IRB), Governance Checklist, or Ethical Approval Certificate.
- Document protection of human and animal rights.
PSI shall be acknowledged in any publication of research resulting from this award. Research results should be presented at a PSI Annual Conference within 3 to 5 years of receipt of the award.
For further questions, please email Courtney Yorks.
Past Recipients
2024
Marianna Thomeczek, M.S.
University of Kansas, Doctoral Candidate
“The development of a new perinatal eating disorder screening tool for Black, Afro-Caribbean, and African American individuals“
Sohye Kim, Ph.D.
UMASS Chan Medical, Assistant Professor
“Maternal postpartum depression and anxiety and the developing infant brain“
2023
Amy M. Claridge, Ph.D., LMFT
Central Washington University
“Social Policy Context and the Transition to Parenthood: A Cross-Cultural Exploration of Couples Mental Health and Relationship Experiences in the Postpartum Period”
Lee S. Cohen, MD
Massachusetts General Hospital
Ammon-Pinizzotto Center for Women’s Mental Health
“A Qualitative Examination of the Lived Experience of Postpartum Psychosis”
2022
Chinyere Y. Eigege, Ph.D. Candidate
University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work
“A Grounded Theory Study on the Experiences of Perinatal Loss Among Black Women”
Tyriesa L. Howard, PhD, LMSW
Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis
“An Exploration of Paternal Involvement to Optimize Maternal Mental Health in NICU Settings”
2021
Eynav Elgavish Accortt, Ph.D.
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
“Do plasma inflammatory protein signatures differentiate women with Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMAD) from healthy controls?”
Rachel C. Vanderkruik, PhD, MSc
Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School
Ammon-Pinizzotto Center for Women’s Mental Health
Targeting Body Image Dissatisfaction During Pregnancy: A Way to Mitigate Risk for Disordered Eating and Depression in the Postpartum
2020
Courtney King, PhD
University of South Carolina
Exercise, Health and Peer-Recovery Coaching A Novel, Web-Based Treatment for Perinatal Opioid Use Disorder
2019
Rebecca J. McCloskey, MSW, LISW
PhD Candidate | Graduate Research Associate
The Ohio State University College of Social Work
Adverse Childhood Experiences, Postpartum Health, and Breastfeeding: A Mixed Methods Study
2018
Sharon Dekel, PhD
Assistant Professor of Psychology
Harvard Medical School & Massachusetts General Hospital
Can we facilitate maternal bonding and prevent postpartum psychopathology using intranasal oxytocin? A novel treatment approach
2017
Moshe Winograd, Ph.D.
CUNY Brooklyn College
Understanding the Predictors of Posttraumatic Growth Among Those With a History of a Reproductive Trauma
2016
Dr. Kayla Wiesner, MD, PGY2
University of Buffalo
Obstetrics and Gynecology
Sisters of Charity Hospital
Buffalo, New York
Degree and determinants of maternal anxiety and depression during antepartum hospitalization for risk pregnancy
2015
Shona L. Ray-Griffith, M.D.
Women’s Mental Health Program
Psychiatric Research Institute
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Exposure to Acetaminophen in the Perinatal Period: Quantification and Consequences
2013
McClain Sampson, McClain Sampson, Ph.D., M.S.S.W.
Assistant Professor, University of Houston, Graduate College of Social Work
Development of an Intervention for PPD among Impoverished Mothers
2011
Dayna J. Le Platte, MD
Psychiatry Resident, University of Michigan
Moms for Moms Project. A community-based approach designed to enrich young mom’s social support and to facilitate self-care and parenting skills. Dr. Le Platte’s project will research this innovative community program connecting at-risk mothers with trained peer supporters.
2010
Ruth Paris, PhD
Boston University School of Social Work
Experiences of Postpartum Depression in Military Families, A Qualitative Study.
2009
Kanita E. Allen, MA, MFT
A phenomenological study of the experience of partners of women diagnosed with Postpartum Depression.
Sona Dimidjian PhD
Exercise-Based Intervention for Antenatal Depression.
2008
Katy Backes Kozhimannil, PhD, MPA
Harvard University PhD Program in Health Policy
Evaluating the impact of a statewide initiative on the treatment of postpartum depression among low income mothers in New Jersey.
2007
Peta-gay Rhinehart, RN, LPC, PhD
University of Houston
Self-Perception of Postpartum Depression.
2004
Maureen L. Murphy, CNM, MSN, EdM
University of Massachusetts, Lowell, School of Health and Environment, Nursing Division for her dissertation on Determinants of Nurse-Midwifery Management of Postpartum Onset Major Depression: A National Survey
2003
Abby Goldstein, MS
Wright State University, Ohio for her dissertation on maternal filicide.
Sandra Jolley, MS
University of Washington for her dissertation on Maternal adaptation in the transition from pregnancy to postpartum: focus on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and mood.
2002
Kelly Harner, MFT
California School of Professional Psychology, Sacramento, California for her study to assess if support groups are a viable treatment approach for postpartum depression.
Janice Goodman, RN
Boston College, Massachusetts for her dissertation on Parental Postpartum Depression and the Family System.
2000
Kim Boland-Prom, MSW
Portland Oregon, for her study on whether or not working women’s reported sense of control and perceived social support in the work and family domains affect their depressive symptoms.
1999
Yuko Leong, RN
University of California, San Francisco for her postgraduate work on postpartum depression in Japanese women in California.
1998
Linda Amankwaa, RN
Florida State University for her dissertation on Postpartum Depression Among African-American Women.
