Sara Williams, PhD

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Specialties

  • Pediatric Psychology.
  • Pediatric Chronic Pain.
  • Pediatric Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders.

Education

PhD: Vanderbilt University (Nashville, TN), Clinical Child Psychology, 2000 - 2007.
Internship: University of California Los Angeles; Neuropsychiatric Institute (Los Angeles, CA), Pediatric Psychology, 2006 - 2007.
Fellowship: Harvard Medical School, ChildrenÕs Hospital Boston (Boston, MA), Pediatric Pain, 2008-2010.

Faculty research

  • Co-Investigator: A study of the connection between sleep and abdominal pain among children with functional gastrointestinal disorders compared to well children. Medical College of Wisconsin; Children's Hospital of Wisconsin.
  • Co-Investigator: A retrospective review of longitudinal patterns of pain, symptoms, and disability in children with functional abdominal pain. Medical College of Wisconsin; Children's Hospital of Wisconsin.

Fellowship research

  • Studied psychological factors affecting pain and disability in children and adolescents with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome.
  • Created and studied parent education group for parents of children with chronic pain syndromes.

Graduate research

Worked on faculty advisor's R01 grant studying psychosocial aspects of children's health and illness, focusing on factors predicting symptom maintenance and disability in children with functional abdominal pain and parent-child interaction around chronic pain.

Invited lectures/Workshops/Presentations/Site visits

  • Williams S. E. Children and Adolescents Coping with Inflammatory Bowel Disease. IBD Family Day, ChildrenÕs Hospital of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI. 2010.
  • Williams, S. E. Parents Coping with Inflammatory Bowel Disease. CrohnÕs and Colitis Foundation of America, Pewaukee, WI. 2011.
  • Williams, S. E. My Belly Hurts: Psychosocial Aspects of Pediatric Functional Abdominal Pain. Pediatric Nursing Conference, ChildrenÕs Hospital of Wisconsin, Brookfield, WI. 2011.

Refereed journal publications/Original papers

  • Walker, L. S., Williams, S. E., Smith, C. A., Garber, J., Van Slyke, D. A., Lipani, T. A. et al. (2006). Validation of a symptom provocation test for laboratory studies of abdominal pain and discomfort in children and adolescents. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 31, 703-713.
  • Walker, L. S., Williams, S. E., Smith, C. A., Garber, J., Van Slyke, D. A., Lipani, T. A. (2006). Parent attention versus distraction: Impact on symptom complaints by children and adolescents with and without chronic functional abdominal pain. Pain, 122, 43-52.
  • Little, C. A., Williams, S. E., Puzanovova, M., Rudzinski, E. R., & Walker, L. S. (2007). Multiple somatic symptoms linked to positive screen for depression in pediatric patients with chronic abdominal pain. Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, 44, 58-62.
  • Williams, S. E., Smith, C. A., Bruehl, S. P., Gigante, J., & Walker, L. S. (2009). Medical evaluation of children with chronic abdominal pain: Impact of diagnosis, physician practice orientation, and maternal trait anxiety on mothers' responses to the evaluation. Pain, 146, 283-92.
  • Williams, S. E., Blount, R. L., Walker, L. S. (2010). Children's pain threat appraisal and catastrophizing moderate the impact of parent verbal behavior on childrenÕs symptom complaints. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 36, 55-63.
  • Sieberg, C. B., Williams, S. E., Simons, L. E. (2011). Do parent protective responses moderate the relation between parent distress and child outcomes among children with chronic pain? Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 36, 1043-51.