• Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles , Psychology, 2000.
• M.A., University of California, Los Angeles , Psychology, 1995.
• B.A., Linfield College , Psychology, 1993.

• Faculty Scholar, William T. Grant Foundation, 2004-2009.
• Beck Scholar, Beck Institute for Cognitive Therapy and Research, 2005-2006.
• Postdoctoral Fellow in Youth Depression, Klingenstein Third Generation Foundation, 2002-2004.
• Michael J. Goldstein Distinguished Dissertation Award in Clinical Psychology, UCLA, 2000.
• Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award, NIMH, 1997-1999.
• Pauley Fellowship, Pauley Family Foundation, UCLA, 1994-1998.
• University Fellowship, Psychology Department, UCLA, 1994-1995.

I am currently on internship at University of California, Los Angeles. My research focuses on cognitive processing factors in anxiety and the delivery of novel cognitive bias modification procedures as stand-alone and adjunctive treatment to more traditional psychosocial models. I also am interested in comorbidity with the anxiety disorders (especially depression) and in the development of accessible, easy to disseminate treatments for internalizing youths.

Broadly speaking, I am interested in risk factors that contribute to the development of depression in youths, as well as dissemination of effective treatment.  I am particularly interested in how youths develop both maladaptive coping strategies that contribute to the development of depressive symptoms over time and how treatment can impact selection of more effective coping strategies.

Generally, I am interested in treatment development and dissemination for youth internalizing disorders. More specifically, I am interested in moderators and mechanisms of change during and after treatment. For example, I am interested in how comorbidity affects youth response to treatment. From a broader public health perspective, I am interested in patterns of mental health service use and how certain factors (e.g., parent psychopathology, stigma) may affect youth engagement in mental health treatment.

My research passion has always been studying mood disorders in adolescents, investigating how they affect all aspects of development, and exploring how they could possibly be treated/prevented.  I am curious about the specific risk factors and protective factors that impact the advancement of depression in youth, as well as the role that puberty plays. In the future, I would like to create preventative programs that could help alter the trajectory of disorder development, decrease stigma and increase awareness to promote earlier treatment-seeking behaviors in youth and their families.

My interest and expertise lies in the treatment of anxiety and depression in youths and families. I also have significant background working with trauma-exposed populations, both youths and adults. I specialize in exposure-based interventions and am interested in factors that facilitate and impede the uptake of therapies in the community, including culture and stigma.

I am interested in identifying moderator and mediator effects of protective and risk factors for anxiety and depression focusing on coping strategies, cognitive measures, and family environment. In the future, I would like to examine the development of intervention treatments for anxiety and mood with an integration of a multicultural perspective in order to increase access to resources and help reduce the issues of health disparities.

I am interested in helping youths with anxiety and depression. I hope to improve current treatment methods of children and teens with anxiety and depression. As anxiety and depression are so prevalent, I hope to understand what prevents those suffering from anxiety and depression from seeking help and work towards finding solutions for them. I also hope to learn more about the impact parents of children with anxiety and depression can have on treatment effects for their children.

My passion in life is working with children. In terms of psychology and research, I am particularly interested in exposure treatment for anxiety and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in youths. I am also interested in the use of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) as a treatment for anxious youth. In the future, I hope to provide treatment to children with mood disorders.

Former Students and Trainees

Shelly Gonzalez, Post-Doctoral Fellow, UCLA

Kestrel Homer, Graduate Student, University of Missouri, Columbia

Melanie Dirks, Assistant Professor, McGill University

Andres De Los Reyes, Assistant Professor, University of Maryland

Erin Warnick, Associate Research Scientist, Yale University Child Study Center

Former Research Assistants

Alexandra Bettis, Graduate Student, Vanderbilt University

Johanna Euyoque, Graduate Student, SDSU

Elyse Homel, Graduate Student, UCLA, Public Health

Alex Jashinsky, Law Student

Jenna McKenney, Administrative Assistant in Rehabilitation at Children's Hospital Colorado

Laura Skriner, Graduate Student, Rutgers University