Ana Cienfuegos-Silvera

Ana Cienfuegos-Silvera, Ph.D., is an Assistant Research Professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Drexel University. In the Juvenile Research and Reform Lab, she contributes to several projects, including a leadership role for the lab’s Restorative Justice initiatives and the Positive School Safety Program. Her research examines the social-psychological mechanisms underlying restorative justice interventions for adolescents across diverse cultural contexts.With advanced training in psychology and public policy, Dr. Cienfuegos-Silvera has over a decade of experience working at the intersection of psychology, policy, and law. Her work spans academic, governmental, and international organizations at national and global levels. As a Juvenile Justice and Mental Health Policy Advisor for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Dr. Cienfuegos-Silvera led the Mental Health Component of the UN Model Strategies and Practical Measures to Eliminate Violence Against Children in Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in Colombia. She has also contributed to high-level global policy development, including serving on the UN Advisory Panel for the 2023 UNODC Manual on Psychosocial Child Assessment and consulting for the UNODC’s Global Program to Eliminate Violence Against Children, including her recent contributions on psychosocial assessment guidelines for children associated with or exposed to terrorist groups in Indonesia. Dr. Cienfuegos-Silvera earned her Ph.D. in Social Psychology from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln as a Fulbright Scholar and holds an M.A. in Public Policy and a B.S. in Psychology.