Congenital Zika Virus Syndrome

Cody Hollist is a licensed independent marriage and family therapist who specializes in the treatment of complex trauma, particularly childhood sexual abuse. He leads the Trauma and Resiliency Explored Laboratory (T-REx) at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, which pursues in-depth examination of how traumatic experiences, whether personal or societal, leave enduring marks on psychological and social well-being. He has worked extensively in many regions of Brazil to strengthen families in the face of significant adversity, including building family supports for those who have a child with microcephaly resulting from Congenital Zika Virus Syndrome. He received a Fulbright Scholar award to work in Sao Paulo addressing high suicide rates among young adults who experienced childhood trauma. In Rio Grande do Sul, his team uses a community-based participatory research approach to address the harm caused by growing up in extreme poverty in high-risk neighborhoods. Hollist, an associate professor in the Department of Child, Youth and Family Studies, is former director of UNL’s Marriage and Family Therapy program, former president of the Nebraska Marriage and Family Therapy Association, and former director of UNL's Global Experiences Office. As a chaplain in the Air National Guard, he deployed to the Middle East in 2018. His teaching includes clinical training for family therapists and for elementary educators working with children and families who have experienced trauma. (Updated December 2024)