Catherine Cerulli, J.D., Ph.D.

Professional Background

Catherine Cerulli, PhD, is currently Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC). Dr. Cerulli is the Director of Susan B. Anthony Center and the Laboratory of Interpersonal Violence and Victimization. She received a PhD in criminal justice from SUNY at Albany, NY in 2004 and her Master's Degree in criminal justice from SUNY at Albany, NY in 1998. She holds a JD from the University at Buffalo law school. Dr. Cerulli received the Excellence in Public Service award from the SUNY Albany Alumni Association in 2014 and the National Institute of Mental Health New Investigator Award in 2005.

The National Institute of Mental Health awarded Dr. Cerulli a five-year grant to conduct a randomized control trial in Family Court to assess whether enhanced mental health enables intimate partner violence (IPV) victims to better navigate safety. She was also to the Co-Principal Investigator on a National Institute of Justice award to assess whether victim participation in prosecution impacts their subsequent safety. She was formerly an Assistant District Attorney in Monroe County, New York, where she created a special misdemeanor domestic violence unit in 1995. She has been working on issues surrounding domestic violence and child abuse for over three decades, in a variety of capacities. Dr. Cerulli had funding from the Center for Disease Control to work with a national IPV hotline to help address the intersection of violence and mental health. She works internationally to ameliorate violence against women and currently is assisting with a project addressing the health and welfare of individuals living in the Sub Mekong region. She is a founding Board Member for the Crisis Nursery of Greater Rochester, Inc., a grass roots organization providing emergency respite care for greater Rochester area families with young children.