Liza Barros-Lane, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Social Work at the University of Houston-Downtown.  Just six months into her tenure, her husband, Dr. Brent Lane, died in a tragic drowning accident, leaving her a widow at 36 with a three-year-old son.  This profound loss led Liza to refocus her research on the emotional, psychological, and social challenges faced by young widows—a subject she intimately understands.  She has published on hidden issues in premature widowhood, with articles featured in Death Studies, OMEGA—Journal of Death and Dying, and Journal of Loss and Trauma.  Driven by a commitment to raise awareness of the unique challenges faced by young widows, Liza founded The Young Widowhood Project, an organization dedicated to advancing research and social consciousness on this topic.  Additionally, she shares her insights through her social media platform, @The Widowed Researcher, making her research accessible and relevant to non-academic communities.