Liza Barros-Lane

Liza Barros-Lane is an Associate Professor of Social Work (as of 9/2025) and a grief researcher specializing in young widowhood, a unique form of traumatic bereavement. Her work examines how sudden partner loss affects mental health, identity, and relationships. As a young widow herself—having lost her husband unexpectedly in 2020—she is committed to educating those experiencing and supporting such losses. She holds a PhD in Social Work and has published in journals like Death Studies and OMEGA – Journal of Death and Dying. Lane founded The Young Widowhood Project to increase research and raise awareness of the experience of premature partner loss.