Brown Clinical Psychology Training Consortium
Clinical Psychology Internship
Research
Research and grant writing are a major activity of many psychologists in academic settings. The training program provides three possible research experiences. Two are optional and one; required. One option is that clinical psychology residents may choose to participate in research that is being conducted as part of the ongoing clinical programs. This could be integrated into part of their clinical duties. A second option is that clinical psychology residents may choose to independently investigate a research question under faculty supervision. Participation in the Research Placement Program, which is required, is described in more detail below.
The Internship Grant Program was created to provide the opportunity for clinical psychology residents to apply for 'seed money' for small research projects during the internship year. This research is generally an outgrowth of the research placement, the research placement supervisor serving as a mentor. There is a total of $7,000 available per internship year.
Research Placement Program
The Research Placement Program provides clinical psychology residents with opportunities to work on programmatic faculty research; typically grant funded projects. Research sites have been developed within each of the four training tracks. Clinical psychology residents are assigned to a project based upon their previous experience in an area, research interests, training needs, and availability of training supervisors. Clinical psychology residents are assigned to a research site for the full internship year and spend approximately four to six hours a week at that placement. Clinical psychology residents may participate in research team meetings and have responsibilities that could include, but are not limited to, research design, data collection, coding and analysis, and manuscript preparation.
The following, listed by track, represents faculty research interests:
Adult Track
For research and clinical interests on faculty listed below please click HERE.
Brian Borsari - Treatment of PTSD and comorbid conditions; development and implementation of brief motivational interventions; cognitive behavioral therapies for sleep; process coding of motivational interviewing.
Kristy Dalrymple - Development of acceptance-based behavioral treatments for comorbid depression and anxiety; assessment and treatment of social anxiety disorder; social anxiety in bariatric surgery candidates.
Elizabeth Didie - Treatment development for body dysmorphic disorder; interpersonal psychotherapy & cognitive behavioral therapy for body dysmorphic disorder; interface between eating disorders and body dysmorphic disorder.
Maria Mancebo- Course of OCD across the lifespan, CBT for OCD, dissemination of exposure based treatments to community mental health settings, treatment adherence.
John McGeary - Investigating the interplay between genes and environment as related to psychiatric and behavioral phenotypes including but not limited to addiction, mood and anxiety disorders, sleep, and obesity; translating genetic findings into targeted behavioral and pharmacological interventions.
Susan Ramsey - Comorbidity of depression and substance use disorders; reducing HIV risk among pregnant drug abusers; preventing depressive symptoms among patients undergoing treatment for hepatitis C; addressing at-risk drinking among diabetic patients.
M. Tracie Shea - Risk factors, longitudinal course, and treatments for PTSD in veterans.
Risa Weisberg – Anxiety disorder course and treatment; CBT in primary care settings; anxiety in African Americans, Latino/as, and older adults.
Shirley Yen - Course and treatment of borderline personality disorder and bipolar disorder, predictors and treatment of adolescent suicidality.
Mark Zimmerman - Diagnostic assessment; scale development; outcomes in routine clinical practice; measurement based care for depression; defining remission in depression; evaluation of candidates for bariatric surgery; predicting outcome of bariatric surgery.
Caron Zlotnick - Interventions with financially-disadvantaged women; treatment of perinatal disorders; and interpersonal violence. Interventions with HIV positive and negative women in US and Africa.
Addictions Research, Butler Hospital
Ana Abrantes - Development of cognitive-behavioral and aerobic exercise interventions for individuals with addictive behaviors and/or mental health problems.
Rick Brown - Behavioral and pharmacological treatments for tobacco dependence and for other SUDs, especially in vulnerable, comorbid populations, computer-, internet and smart phone-based interventions to promote dissemination/translation of ESTs, distress tolerance and smoking lapse, exercise/physical activity interventions and MI to reduce substance use in teens.
Center for Alcohol & Addiction Studies
Nancy Barnett - Efficacy of brief interventions for alcohol among adolescents and young adults; naturalistic change following critical alcohol events; developing clinical interventions using transdermal alcohol detection.
Kate Carey - Evaluating brief
motivational interventions for mandated college drinkers; evaluating a norms-based maintenance intervention and
identification of mediators and moderators of intervention effects; screening and brief interventions for
at-risk drinkers in clinics and mental health settings; assessing and
enhancing motivation to change; social influences (e.g., perceived
norms) on drinking behavior; and alcohol’s effects on HIV risk
behaviors.
Suzanne Colby –- Treatment for adolescent smoking; Factors in smoking acquisition, maintenance, and cessation among adolescents.
Chad Gwaltney - Relapse process among adolescent and adult smokers; ecological momentary assessment methods
Christopher Kahler - Behavioral and pharmacological treatment interventions for adult smoking and excessive drinking; brief interventions for HIV-infected heavy drinkers; co-use of alcohol and tobacco; application of Positive Psychotherapy to smoking cessation.
Jane Metrik - Marijuana’s expectancy, pharmacological and cue-elicited effects in relation to emotional regulation, incentive salience, reward sensitivity, and risk taking and impulsivity; comorbidity of cannabis use and affective disorders; co-use of marijuana and alcohol.
Robert Miranda – Pharmacotherapy and psychosocial intervention development research for adolescents with alcohol, cannabis, and other substance use disorders; ecological momentary assessment methods; psychophysiological and other laboratory-based methods.
Peter Monti - Efficacy of combined psychological and pharmacological treatment for addiction.
Damaris Rohsenhow – Pharmacological treatments for smoking; smoking treatments for substance abusers.
Dan Squires- Dissemination of evidence-based clinical practices; distance learning; technology transfer.
Jennifer Tidey -Laboratory mechanism studies and pharmacological and behavioral treatment studies for substance use disorders in people with serious mental illness
Tara White - Affective neuroscience: brain, mood, behavior, and neuroendocrine response to monoamine agonists; Laboratory drug challenge studies; Individual differences in drug responses related to temperament and emotion
Psychosocial Research, Butler Hospital
Cynthia Battle – Women's mental health; treatment of perinatal depression; family-based treatments
Brandon Gaudiano – Development of acceptance and mindfulness-based therapies and severe mental illness, including psychotic depression and bipolar disorder.
Ivan Miller- Development of treatments for suicidal patients; combined treatments for severely depressed patients; and family interventions for mood disorders
Lauren Weinstock - Depression and suicide risk in bipolar disorder; behavioral interventions for bipolar disorder; psychosocial predictors of bipolar illness course.
Lisa Uebelacker – Improving treatment for depression in primary care; treating depression and comorbid physical health problems; hatha yoga as a treatment for depression.
Health Psychology/Behavioral Medicine Track
For research and clinical interests on faculty listed below please click HERE.
Beth Bock: Yoga as a complementary treatment for smoking cessation; Text messaging for smoking cessation; Teachable moments and decision making in emergency medicine; use and sustainability of exercise video games for adults.
Dale Bond: Behavioral aspects of bariatric surgery; Exercise adoption and maintenance.
Belinda Borrelli: Treatment of nicotine dependence; Environmental tobacco smoke exposure; Tailoring smoking interventions for different cultural and ethnic groups; Motivational interviewing; Behavioral activation & Positive psychology, Public health approaches to smoking cessation; Medication adherence across a variety of medical conditions; Translating clinical theory into public health intervention; Treatment and fidelity/integrity.
Margaret
Bublitz: Biobehavioral pathways linking early life stress to adverse neonatal
outcomes.
Andrew Busch: Behavioral Activation; Smoking cessation and depression treatment in cardiac patients; Mood during and after smoking cessation.
Michael Carey: Health promotion and disease prevention through behavior change; sexual health promotion and risk reduction; HIV and STD prevention; tobacco and alcohol use.
Mary Carskadon: Psychological, behavioral, social, and biological factors that determine sleep amount and timing for children, adolescents, and emerging adults.
Joseph Ciccolo: Correlates and treatment of nicotine dependence; Exercise adoption and maintenance.
Shira Dunsiger: Advanced statistical methodology for assessing patterns of behavior change; Longitudinal mediators of intervention effects; Effects of Adherence on Behavioral Outcomes.
Win Gongvatana: Brain dysfunction associated HIV infection, alcoholism, and other comorbid conditions; Diffusion and functional neuroimaging.
Chantelle Hart: Behavioral treatment of pediatric obesity; influence of sleep on eating, activity and weight.
Ernestine Jennings: Health disparities, physical activity promotion, smoking cessation
Jessica LaRose: Development of obesity prevention and treatment programs for young adults; Lifestyle / behavioral interventions for obesity; Psychological, behavioral, and social factors in weight maintenance.
Tricia Leahey: behavioral interventions for obesity treatment; social networks and social influence for weight loss; bariatric surgery.
Jason Lillis: Mindfulness and acceptance processes in the treatment of obesity; Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.
Jeanne McCaffery: Gene by environment interactions related to obesity, cardiovascular disease;
psychological, behavioral, social, and biological risk factors for cardiovasular disease.
Kathleen Morrow: Biomedical and Behavioral interventions for HIV/STD prevention; Microbicide acceptability and measurement; Qualitative and mixed research methods for behavioral research.
Bernardine Pinto: Exercise adoption and maintenance; Exercise interventions for cancer patients; Health behavior changes after cancer; Maintenance of exercise after cardiac rehabilitation.
Carolyn Rabin: Exercise interventions for cancer survivors (breast cancer survivors, young adult cancer survivors), Stress management interventions for cancer survivors; Health behavior changes after cancer; Distress, anxiety, depression, and quality of life in cancer patients
Rochelle Rosen: Cross-cultural and translational behavioral research; Microbicide acceptability and measurement; Public Health approaches to chronic disease management; Qualitative and mixed research methods for behavioral research.
Lori Scott-Sheldon: Reducing the incidence of HIV through behavioral change; HIV; alcohol; meta-analysis.
Laura Stroud: Stress response/HPA stress reactivity in infants/children/adolescents; Intergenerational transmission of depression and smoking;Maternal smoking and depression during pregnancy; Maternal-fetal placental neuroendocrine milieu; Adolescent depression risk; HPA/neural response to peer rejection.
Graham Thomas: Technology for health behavioral assessment and intervention; mHealth; Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA); behavioral obesity treatment; weight loss maintenance; bariatric surgery; eating disorders.
Jessica Unick: Behavioral interventions for individuals with severe obesity; the relationship between exercise and energy intake; exercise and weight maintenance.
David Williams: Correlates and treatment of nicotine dependence; Exercise adoption and maintenance; Translating clinical theory into public health intervention; Affective (e.g., emotional) determinants of health behavior.
Rena Wing: Behavioral intervention in obesity; Exercise adoption and maintenance; Psychological, behavioral, social, and biological factors in weight maintenance; sleep duration and obesity; acceptance and commitment therapy for obesity.
Child Track
For research and clinical interests on faculty listed below please click HERE.
Rowland Barrett: Asperger’s Disorder, Autism
Julie Boergers: Pediatric Sleep Disorder, Smoking
Larry Brown: Adolescent HIV Prevention
Daniel Dickstein: Genetics of Autism and Developmental Disorders; Mood Disorders
Susan Dickstein: Early childhood development in the context of family and social risk.
Jennifer Freeman: Assessment and treatment of childhood and adolescent obsessive-compulsive disorder and anxiety disorder.
Abbe Garcia: Assessment and treatment of childhood and adolescent obsessive-compulsive disorder and anxiety disorder.
Wendy Hadley: Adolescent HIV Prevention
Christopher Houck: Adolescent HIV Prevention
Elissa Jelalian, et al: Behavioral interventions for adolescent obesity.
Valerie Knopik: Genetic and environmental influences on psychopathology and behavior.
Daphne Koinis-Mitchell: Child-based, cultural and neighborhood risk and protective factors in urban children with asthma.
Barry Lester: Development of behavioral processes in infants at risk.
Debra Lobato: Siblings of children with medical and developmental disorders.
Elizabeth McQuaid: Family asthma management and adherence to medication; Symptom perception and culture in childhood asthma; pediatric food allergies.
Eric Morrow: Genetics of Autism and Developmental Disorders
Jack Nassau: Stress and immunity in pediatric asthma; Family systems interventions for pediatric chronic illness and eating disorders.
Christie Rizzo: Adolescent HIV Prevention
Tom Roesler: Family systems interventions for pediatric chronic illness and eating disorders.
Stephen Sheinkopf: Asperger’s Disorder; Autism; Development of behavioral processes in infants at risk.
Stephanie Shepard: Early childhood development in the context of family and social risk.
Anthony Spirito: Behavioral interventions for adolescent depression and suicidal behavior.
Marina Tolou-Shams: Adolescent HIV Prevention
Barbara Tylenda: Asperger’s Disorder; Autism
Jennifer Wolff: Behavioral interventions for adolescent depression and suicidal behavior.
Neuropsychology Track
For research and clinical interests on faculty listed below please click HERE.
Steve Correia: Application of diffusion tensor imaging to neurologic populations.
Jennifer Davis: Driving and dementia; Telephone Interventions with Dementia Caregivers; Executive functioning and depression in epilepsy; Nonpharmacologic interventions for aging and MCI; and Neuropsychiatric aspects of thyroid disease.
Margaret DiCarlo: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder; Driving and dementia.
Allison Evans: Reading Fluency, Phonological Processing, and Dyslexia.
Laura Frakey: Cognition in Parkinson’s Disease; Apathy in neurological disorders.
Janet Grace: Neurobehavioral features of Parkinson's disease.
Thomas Guilmette: Assessment of effort and malingering; Forensic Neuropsychology and Jury Deliberation in Mild Head Injury.
Karen Holler: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
Melissa Jenkins: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder; Attention and Memory in PTSD; Auditory processing disorders; and Measures of effort in the assessment of ADHD.
Beth Jerskey: Imaging genomics; myelination trajectories in young children; cognitive abilities of infants and toddlers; biomarkers for children at risk for psychological disorders; cortical thickness differences in neurological diseases.
Katarina Lukatela: Normal aging: effects of lifestyle on age sensitive cognitive functions.
Paul Malloy: Mild cognitive impairment and dementia; Frontal/executive cognition and behavior; Predicting response to shunting in normal pressure hydrocephalus.
Nicole McLaughlin: Neurosurgical intervention in obsessive-compulsive disorder; Fear learning and extinction in anxiety.
Anjali Palav: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder; Developmental language disorders, oral and written.
Gregg Selke: Sleep Disturbance in Children with ADHD, TBI, and Cancer; Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
Megan Spencer: Postraumatic Stress disorder and neuropsychological assessment; Adaptation of psychotherapeutic techniques for cognitively impaired individuals.
Christine Trask: Late effects and quality of life issues related to pediatric cancer treatment; Parental need for information and use of web-based technologies; Attentional problems in new onset pediatric epilepsy; and Cognitive side effects from AED's in a pediatric population.
Geoffrey Tremont: Telephone Interventions with Dementia Caregivers; Anosognosia in dementia; Validity of a Telephone-Based Cognitive Screening for Dementia and Mild Cognitive Impairment; and Non-pharmacologic interventions for aging and MCI.
Holly Westervelt: Clinicopathologic correlation in dementia; Olfaction in neurodegenerative diseases; Pharmacologic treatment of cognitive deficits in Mulitple Sclerosis; and Early detection of Huntington's Disease.
Bill Whelihan: Assessment of effort and malingering; Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder; Neuropsychological aspects of vascular dementia; and Driving and dementia.
Julie Wilson: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder; Reading Fluency, Phonological Processing, and Dyslexia; and Developmental language disorders, oral and written.