The longtime RTI International research psychologist studies resilience, burnout and suicide prevention while helping shape the next generation of researchers in the Triangle
By Olivia Jarman | Photo by John Michael Simpson
Research psychologist Lissette Saavedra built a career rooted in curiosity and community. Durham became the setting for that work, though her path began far from the Bull City. Lissette was born and raised in Miami, and the diverse coastal city shaped her early years, influencing her worldview. She initially expected to follow a traditional academic career. “I was going to teach, mentor and do my research in a university,” Lissette says. “That is how I was trained.”
Graduate school reshaped that expectation. Lissette pursued a doctorate in psychology at Florida International University while contributing to a research project between the University of Miami and RTI International, the nonprofit independent research institute headquartered in Research Triangle Park that focuses on improving the human condition by finding scientific-based solutions to large, global challenges. She visited Durham for training sessions, revealing a new professional landscape. The density of research opportunities in the Triangle both surprised and excited her.
“I had no idea places like RTI existed,” Lissette says. “I saw all the things that RTI does and said, ‘I’m in.”
That collaboration gave Lissette the chance to work alongside RTI researchers during her doctorate, which eventually led to an offer to join the organization full time. She did so in 2004 and relocated to the Triangle in 2008. After nearly 22 years with the organization, Lissette says she’s embraced a “nontraditional academic trajectory.” As a fellow in developmental psychopathology, Lissette studies how people grow and adapt across their lifespan, examining areas like post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, substance use and workforce burnout to better understand how to strengthen resilience and support long-term well-being.
Much of Lissette’s current – and most meaningful – work centers on youth mental health and suicide prevention. She leads a data coordinating center funded by the National Institute of Mental Health that focuses on identifying risk and protective factors for preteen suicide, an area of growing concern in the United States.
Through this initiative, she collaborates with a consortium of researchers across the country, bringing together findings from multiple studies to better understand what places young people at risk – and what helps protect them. This research comes at a critical time: Lissette says suicide rates among children ages 10 to 14 increased by 87% between 2000 and 2021. “The coordination and harmonization of data across studies will enable us to answer critical questions about what drives preteen suicide risk in a way that has never been possible before,” she says.
Her passion for research is matched by her commitment to mentoring. She advises early-career scholars at Duke University and North Carolina Central University on more specific professional goals, but holds a special place for guiding high school students. Over the years, she has shared insights on careers in psychology and research with students across the Triangle, including at Research Triangle High School and Durham School of the Arts.
“As a social scientist dedicated to community-engaged research on critical issues like mental health, Lissette has helped me and my organization better recognize the power of research to drive real change in health and wellness. She brings compassion, rigor and exceptional skill to her work.”
– Molly Hayes, director of training, education and consultation services, El Futuro
Lissette’s desire to give back also extends to her board work with El Futuro, a nonprofit that provides mental health services to the Latino community. She began collaborating with the organization in 2016 and joined its board of directors in 2024. Her Colombian heritage informs her approach, ensuring care is culturally and linguistically accessible. El Futuro Executive Director Luke Smith describes her in one word: “heart.”
“She really rolls up her sleeves to help, whether it be designing an evaluation plan, leading a focus group, or talking Spanish and celebrating with a family whose child has had a breakthrough at school,” Luke says. “When you’re with her, she feels like family – or maybe familia!”
Lissette broadened that spirit of service in 2023 by working with JusticeMatters to support efforts aimed at reducing burnout among attorneys who advocate for children and families. She now serves as co-leader of the organization’s Trauma-Informed Practices for Legal Aid Program.
Lissette’s daily motivation is a philosophy of intentionality. “One of the most important things you can control is your perspective on your every day,” Lissette says. She often asks herself a simple question: “How do I want to feel at the end of the day?”
“If you are able to find joy, whether it’s in the everyday or it’s in relationships or small little goals that you have, that can really reduce burnout,” she says.
Lissette says she personally unwinds by cooking, diving into novels and hitting the tennis courts at Southern Boundaries Park or Bethesda Park. At home, she’s keeping busy raising a spirited puppy, Milo Manuel.
After 15 years in Durham, Lissette says she treasures the community that has supported her family. She and her husband of 25 years, Javier Rodriguez, a microbiology scientist at Duke University Hospital’s molecular lab, raised their son, Sebastian Rodriguez, here. Now a senior at UNC-Greensboro, Sebastian is already planning his return to Durham to pursue a nursing career locally.
“I am very grateful to live in Durham,” she says. “I feel like I’m in a good place to give back to the community that has given us a lot.”
