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Quantitative Psychologist, Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology

Assistant Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics

513-517-0674

Biography & Affiliation

Biography

Dr. Mara researches improved methods for measuring and analyzing psychological data in quantitative methods. Her research has focused on developing and investigating improved procedures for analyzing behavioral data. For example, she has studied equivalence testing methods that have recently become popular in psychology for investigating when groups/conditions are equivalent, or when a lack of association between variables exists. Dr. Mara has also investigated novel structural equation models for investigating change in randomized longitudinal studies, and applications of item response theory.

Dr. Mara’s research in the area of pediatric patient-reported outcomes has centered on the measurement and psychometric properties of patient-reported outcomes in a pediatric healthcare setting. In particular, she uses item-response theory (IRT) and factor analysis to examine the psychometric properties of patient-reported outcomes. It is critical that the measures we use are reliable, valid, sensitive, and responsive. Applying contemporary measurement science to assess the measures used as outcomes in research is critical to reducing error and improving the accuracy and replicability of our research findings.

Research Interests

Innovative application of advanced quantitative methods to research in pediatric psychology; pediatric patient-reported outcomes; longitudinal data analysis; randomized behavioral clinical trials

Academic Affiliation

Assistant Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics

Research Divisions

Clinical Psychology

Education

BSc: Trent University, Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, 2008.

MA: York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 2009.

PhD: York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 2013.

Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship: Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH.

Publications

Feasibility and acceptability of an innovative adherence intervention for young adults with childhood-onset systemic Lupus Erythematosus. Harry, O; Crosby, LE; Mara, C; Ting, TV; Huggins, JL; Modi, AC. Pediatric Rheumatology Online Journal. 2020; 18.

The relationship of the UPPS model of impulsivity on bulimic symptoms and non-suicidal self-injury in transgender youth. Peterson, CM; Mara, CA; Conard, LA E; Grossoehme, D. Eating Behaviors. 2020; 39:101416-101416.

Validation and confirmatory factor analysis of the pediatric Adherence Barriers to Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Questionnaire. Carmody, JK; Simon, SL; Mara, CA; Byars, KC. Sleep Medicine. 2020; 74:1-8.

Validity of data collected from randomized behavioral clinical trials during the covid-19 pandemic. Mara, CA; Peugh, JL. Journal of Pediatric Psychology. 2020; 45:971-976.

Parental efficacy and control questionnaire in hematopoietic stem cell transplant: Preliminary validation. Pai, AL H; Chardon, ML; Mara, CA; Basile, NL; Schwartz, LA; Phipps, S. Journal of Pediatric Psychology. 2020; 45:454-462.

Dialectical behavioral therapy skills group as an adjunct to family-based therapy in adolescents with restrictive eating disorders. Peterson, CM; Van Diest, AM K; Mara, CA; Matthews, A. Eating Disorders. 2020; 28:67-79.

The Influence of Caregiver Distress and Child Anxiety in Predicting Child Somatization in Youth with Functional Abdominal Pain Disorders. Love, SC; Mara, CA; Kalomiris, AE; Cunningham, NR. Children. 2019; 6:134-134.

Maintenance Following a Randomized Trial of a Clinic and Home-based Behavioral Intervention of Obesity in Preschoolers. Stark, LJ; Filigno, SS; Kichler, JC; Bolling, C; Ratcliff, MB; Robson, SM; Simon, SL; McCullough, MB; Clifford, LM; Stough, CO; et al. The Journal of Pediatrics. 2019; 213:128-136.e3.

Establishing clinical cutoffs for the PedsQL™ Epilepsy Module. Junger, KW; Modi, AC; Guilfoyle, SM; Smith, G; Wagner, J; Mucci, GA; Huszti, H; Mara, CA. Epilepsy and Behavior. 2019; 99:106463-106463.

Epilepsy Journey: A proof of concept trial of a Web-based executive functioning intervention for adolescents with epilepsy. Modi, AC; Mara, CA; Schmidt, M; Smith, AW; Turnier, L; Glaser, N; Wade, SL. Epilepsia. 2019; 60:1895-1907.