About

Cynthia A. Wilson is a Clinical Professor of Law and the Director of the Center for Externships at the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law's Bluhm Legal Clinic. Her teaching and research interests include experiential learning, ethics, and public interest law. She teaches Practicum externship seminars focusing on the federal judiciary and on public interest law, and has been involved in courses related to legal ethics taught by clinical professors and Chicago area lawyers. Professor Wilson received the Dean’s Teaching Award in 2010 and previously served as the Director of the Public Interest Center at the law school. She is a recipient of the Chicago Bar Foundation Leonard J. Schrager Award of Excellence, which recognizes significant contributions to improving access to justice for the less fortunate. Prior to her academic career, she worked for ten years as a civil rights attorney at the Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and served as a law clerk to the Honorable Seymour F. Simon of the Illinois Supreme Court. She earned her JD, cum laude, from Northwestern University School of Law in 1986 and her BA, magna cum laude, from Knox College in 1982.

Research topics

• Internal medicine
• Medicine
• Psychology
• Statistics
• Social psychology
• Intensive care medicine
• Emergency medicine
• Clinical psychology
• Virology
• Applied psychology
• Mathematics

Selected publications

• Families

  Oxford University Press eBooks · 2025-08-21

  book-chapter

  Abstract Chronic illnesses and disabilities (CIDs) significantly affect not only the individual with the CID but also their family. Family is a unique cultural unit that develops behaviors and shares similar values over a number of years. While family may be a primary resource for individuals with CIDs and family caregivers provide a multitude of support and assistance to their loved ones with CIDs, families frequently face a range of challenges that impact their own adjustment and well-being. The main aim of this chapter is to introduce characteristics of family caregivers, family adaptation models, issues related to the impact of CIDs on families and their dynamics, evidence-based interventions for family caregivers, and, finally, ongoing challenges to provide rehabilitation psychologists with a better understanding of family issues and to help facilitate the provision of proper services and supports to optimize families’ adjustment and adaptation in the rehabilitation process.

  PublisherDOI

• Exploring racial inequalities in maternal mental health outcomes

  European Journal of Public Health · 2024-10-28 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Abstract Perinatal mental illness affects around 1 in 5 birthing people globally and is associated with adverse outcomes for those affected and their families. Such adverse outcomes are not inevitable and there is now good evidence for a range of both preventive and treatment interventions. There are well-documented inequalities in mental health outcomes across a range of social determinants, including race; such inequalities are also apparent during the perinatal period. There are also racial disparities in mental health care delivery during the perinatal period. Racial inequalities in perinatal mental health are now being recognized as key policy priorities in both the United States and the United Kingdom. This presentation will present routinely collected epidemiological data, investigating the drivers of these racial inequalities in access to perinatal mental health services and associated maternal and child outcomes. It also will present qualitative approaches to exploring current initiatives to reduce inequalities. Findings have the potential to inform the development of culturally sensitive interventions to promote equity in this area for underserved populations in the U.K., U.S., and elsewhere.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Building capacity for ATLS trauma education: role of nurse practitioners and physician assistants

  Trauma Surgery & Acute Care Open · 2024-03-01 · 3 citations

  articleOpen access

  Objectives Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) focuses on care of injured patients in the first hour of resuscitation. Expanded demand for courses has led to a concurrent need for new instructors. Nurse practitioners and physician assistants (NPs/PAs) work on trauma services and duties include patient, staff, and outreach education. The goal of this project was to assess NP/PA self-reported knowledge and skills pertinent to ATLS and identify potential barriers to becoming instructors. Materials This was a voluntary 91-question survey emailed to NP/PA lists obtained from professional societies and online social media channels. NPs/PAs completed a survey reflecting self-reported knowledge, experience, comfort level, and barriers to teaching ATLS interactive discussions and skills. Responses were recorded using a Likert scale and results were documented as percentages. Number of years of experience versus perceived knowledge and comfort teaching were compared using a χ 2 test of independence. Results There were 1696 completed surveys. Most NPs/PAs thought they had adequate knowledge and experience to teach interactive discussions and skills. Those with more years of experience and those who completed more ATLS courses had higher percentages. The number 1 barrier to teaching was lack of formal teaching experience followed by perceived hierarchy concerns. Experience and comfort with skills that fell below 50% were pediatric airway (49.5%), needle and surgical cricothyrotomy (49.8% and 44.8%), diagnostic peritoneal lavage (21.6%), and venous cutdown (20.8%). Conclusion NPs/PAs with experience in trauma reported having the knowledge and skill to teach ATLS. A majority are comfortable teaching interactive discussions and skills for which they are knowledgeable. The primary barrier to teaching was lack of formal teaching experience, which is covered in the ATLS Instructor course. Training NPs/PAs to become instructors would increase the instructor base and allow for increased promulgation of ATLS and trauma education. Level of evidence IV.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Resilience to emerging infectious diseases and the importance of scientific innovation

  Future Healthcare Journal · 2024-03-01 · 4 citations

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  This opinion piece emphasies the critical role of translational research in enhancing the UK's resilience against future pandemics. The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the lifesaving potential of scientific innovation, including genomic tracking of SARS-CoV-2, vaccine development, data linkage, modelling, and new treatments. These advances, achieved through collaborations between academic institutions, industry, government, public health bodies, and the NHS, occurred at an unprecedented pace. However, the UK's pandemic preparedness planning, as reflected in the 2016 Exercise Cygnus report, notably lacked provision for scientific innovation. This oversight highlights the necessity of integrating innovation and research into future preparedness strategies, not as a luxury but as a vital component of the healthcare infrastructure. The COVID-19 pandemic has underlined the importance of surge capacity for diagnostic labs, vaccine development and deployment strategies, real-time research embedded within the NHS, efficient data sharing, clear public communication, and the use of genomic tools for outbreak surveillance and monitoring pathogen response. Despite world-leading aspects of some of the UK's research response, the need to build much of the infrastructure in real-time led to avoidable delays. A proactive approach in incorporating research and innovation into the NHS's operational framework will be needed to ensure swift, evidence-based responses to future pandemics.

  PublisherDOI

• Reseñas de libros

  Exemplaria Classica · 2024-11-19

  articleOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• A Scoping Review of Literature on Sexual Health and Wellness in Women with Spinal Cord Injury

  Sexuality and Disability · 2024-02-08

  review
  PublisherDOI

• A systematic review of how spinal cord injury impacts families.

  Rehabilitation Psychology · 2022-05-05 · 19 citations

  reviewOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE: This systematic review synthesizes the existing literature on the impact of spinal cord injury (SCI) on families, including parenting, marital relations, and caregivers' psychological adjustment. RESEARCH METHOD/DESIGN: Seven databases were searched for relevant peer-reviewed studies. Dissertations, chapters, editorials, and review articles were excluded. Sixty-six studies that examined SCI's impact on caregivers and families were included. RESULTS: = 5), needs for social support and information were identified, and several interventions (e.g., family education, more social support, and problem-solving training) were beneficial for promoting caregivers' psychosocial adjustment. CONCLUSIONS: SCI significantly impacts caregivers' sense of burden and psychological distress, with major implications for family functioning and caregivers' physical, mental, and social health. These issues occurred internationally and endured over time. Findings indicated the need for focused interventions to support caregivers' psychosocial adjustment after SCI. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

  PublisherDOI

• Ten-Item Personality Inventory--Revised

  PsycTESTS Dataset · 2021-01-01

  dataset
  PublisherDOI

• Improving the Measurement of “Big Five” Personality Traits in a Brief Survey Instrument

  European Journal of Psychological Assessment · 2021 · 4 citations

  • Psychology
  • Applied psychology
  • Statistics

  Abstract. The Ten Item Personality Inventory (TIPI) is the leading brief instrument for the “Big Five” personality measurement. However, TIPI’s design has suboptimal features: agree-disagree response options, numeric instead of verbal response labels, and multiple items per page. This paper presents a version of TIPI that addresses these problems. Using two nationally representative sample surveys, we compare the original and revised TIPIs on several dimensions: completion time, item nonresponse, paired item reliability, and validity based on relations to other variables. Completion time is the same and item nonresponse rates are low, while reliability and criterion validity for the revised TIPI is better than the original. The results show how better personality data can be obtained at no additional cost by optimizing questionnaire design.

  PublisherDOI

• Convalescent plasma in patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 (RECOVERY): a randomised controlled, open-label, platform trial

  The Lancet · 2021 · 520 citations

  • Medicine
  • Internal medicine

  BACKGROUND: Many patients with COVID-19 have been treated with plasma containing anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. We aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of convalescent plasma therapy in patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19. METHODS: This randomised, controlled, open-label, platform trial (Randomised Evaluation of COVID-19 Therapy [RECOVERY]) is assessing several possible treatments in patients hospitalised with COVID-19 in the UK. The trial is underway at 177 NHS hospitals from across the UK. Eligible and consenting patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive either usual care alone (usual care group) or usual care plus high-titre convalescent plasma (convalescent plasma group). The primary outcome was 28-day mortality, analysed on an intention-to-treat basis. The trial is registered with ISRCTN, 50189673, and ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04381936. FINDINGS: Between May 28, 2020, and Jan 15, 2021, 11558 (71%) of 16287 patients enrolled in RECOVERY were eligible to receive convalescent plasma and were assigned to either the convalescent plasma group or the usual care group. There was no significant difference in 28-day mortality between the two groups: 1399 (24%) of 5795 patients in the convalescent plasma group and 1408 (24%) of 5763 patients in the usual care group died within 28 days (rate ratio 1·00, 95% CI 0·93-1·07; p=0·95). The 28-day mortality rate ratio was similar in all prespecified subgroups of patients, including in those patients without detectable SARS-CoV-2 antibodies at randomisation. Allocation to convalescent plasma had no significant effect on the proportion of patients discharged from hospital within 28 days (3832 [66%] patients in the convalescent plasma group vs 3822 [66%] patients in the usual care group; rate ratio 0·99, 95% CI 0·94-1·03; p=0·57). Among those not on invasive mechanical ventilation at randomisation, there was no significant difference in the proportion of patients meeting the composite endpoint of progression to invasive mechanical ventilation or death (1568 [29%] of 5493 patients in the convalescent plasma group vs 1568 [29%] of 5448 patients in the usual care group; rate ratio 0·99, 95% CI 0·93-1·05; p=0·79). INTERPRETATION: In patients hospitalised with COVID-19, high-titre convalescent plasma did not improve survival or other prespecified clinical outcomes. FUNDING: UK Research and Innovation (Medical Research Council) and National Institute of Health Research.

  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Allen W. Heinemann

  Shirley Ryan AbilityLab

  27 shared

• Nancy Temkin

  Neurological Surgery

  18 shared

• Jesse R. Fann

  16 shared

• Charles H. Bombardier

  14 shared

• Denise G. Tate

  14 shared

• Ann Marie Warren

  Baylor Scott & White Health

  13 shared

• Cheryl B. McCullumsmith

  University of Toledo

  13 shared

• Martin Forchheimer

  University of Michigan–Ann Arbor

  8 shared

Labs

• Center for Externships at Northwestern Pritzker School of LawPI

Awards & honors

• Dean’s Teaching Award (2010)
• Chicago Bar Foundation Leonard J. Schrager Award of Excellen…