Dr. Kois is a clinical and forensic psychologist whose research, clinical, and consulting activities center on forensic mental health services and systems, specifically those concerning competence to stand trial and the "competence crisis," as well as mental state at the time of the offense (i.e., sanity) evaluations. Her research program is supported by competitive federal, state, and philanthropic funding. In 2023 she received the Saleem Shah Early Career Development Award from the American Psychology-Law Society (APA Div. 41) and American Academy of Forensic Psychology, as well as the Psychologist in Public Service (APA Div. 18) Criminal Justice Division's Early Career Achievement Award. Prior to joining ILPPP, Dr. Kois was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology (Clinical Forensic doctoral program) at the University of Alabama. 

Select Publications:

Kois, L. E., Potts, H., Cox, J., & Zapf, P. (2024). Court-reported competence to proceed data across the United States. Law and Human Behavior, 48(3), 182–202. https://doi.org/10.1037/lhb0000565

Gonzales, L., Kois, L. E., Mandracchia, F., Dhillon, A., & Purcell, A. (2024). Community member attitudes and understanding of "serious mental illness": A mixed-method study. Psychiatric rehabilitation journal, 47(2), 150–156. https://doi.org/10.1037/prj0000598

Hunter, S., Kois, L. E., *Peck, A. T., Elbogen, E. B., & LaDuke, C. (2023). The prevalence of traumatic brain injury (TBI) among people impacted by the criminal legal system: An updated meta-analysis and subgroup analyses. Law and Human Behavior, 47(5), 539–565. https://doi.org/10.1037/lhb0000543

Kois, L. E., Murrie, D., Gowensmith, W. N., & Packer, I. (2023). A public health perspective to reform the competence to stand trial system. Psychiatric Services. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.20230079

Kois, L. E., Cox, J., Simmons, G.L., White, S., & Adams, V.S. (2023). University-community mental health training collaboration: Teaching criminal legal stakeholders about Autism. Psychiatric Services. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.20220254

Murrie, D. C., Gowensmith, W. N., Kois, L. E., Packer, I. (2023). Evaluations of competence to stand trial are evolving amid a national competency crisis. Behavioral Sciences & the Law, 41, 310-325. https://doi.org/10.1002/bsl.2620

To see more of Dr. Kois’s publications, please download her CV.

Research interests:

  • Leveraging implementation science to improve forensic service systems, including competence evaluation and restoration services

  • Evidence-informed approaches to competence restoration, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Psychosis

  • Community-engaged research and co-design

Clinical interests:

  • Competence to stand trial

  • Mental State at the time of the offense

Lauren Kois, PhD