Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology
Meet the Team

Meet our Experts

Director

Avani C. Modi, PhD

Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics
Research Interests
Treatment adherence; health-related quality of life; patient-reported outcomes; executive functioning, adherence barriers, randomized controlled...

Faculty

Claire M. Aarnio-Peterson, PhD

Associate Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics
Research Interests
Early childhood prevention programs and interventions to optimize the development of young children; enhancements of home visiting programs that...

Jillian E. Austin, PhD

Assistant Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics
Research Interests
Curriculum development and delivery of professional training on evidenced-based treatment; integrated behavioral healthcare; adherence; community...

Sarah J. Beal, PhD

Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics
Research Interests
Developmental psychology; general pediatrics research fellowship

Julia F. Beattie, PhD

Assistant Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics

Stephen P. Becker, PhD

Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics
Research Interests
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); sluggish cognitive tempo; sleep

Dean W. Beebe, PhD, ABPP

Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics
Research Interests
Research impact of childhood sleep pathology on neuropsychological functioning; experimental sleep manipulation in adolescents; impact of shortened...

Carolina M. Bejarano, PhD

Assistant Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics
Research Interests
Adolescent eating behavior; impacts of food insecurity as a social determinant of health; intraindividual and intergenerational processes

Shannon Brothers, PhD

Associate Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics
Research Interests
Improving quality of life; illness coping; behavioral health concerns (e.g., anxiety, depression) of patients with epilepsy

Lisa M. Clifford, PhD

Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics
Research Interests
Behavioral health interventions; pediatric epilepsy

Robert C. Coghill, PhD

Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics
Research Interests
Chronic pain; acute pain; brain imaging; sensory testing

Amanda Conrad, PsyD

Associate Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics
Research Interests
School mental health; behavioral interventions in the school context; pediatric-school collaboration; parent training; educator professional...

Kristina Decker, PhD

Assistant Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics
Research Interests
Pediatric sleep; pediatric obesity; health equity

Jeffery N. Epstein, PhD

Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics

Michelle M. Ernst, PhD

Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics
Research Interests
Quality improvement; clinical effectiveness; pain management; differences of sexual development

Aria E. Fiat, PhD, NCSP

Assistant Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics
Research Interests
Integrated systems of service delivery; organizational wellbeing; implementation science; culturally-responsive intervention delivery; caregiver...

Stephanie Filigno, PhD

Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics
Research Interests
Early intervention; adherence to treatment in chronic illness (CF and obesity); development and testing of brief behavioral interventions; quality...

Andrew J. Flannery, PhD

Assistant Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics

Kendra J. Homan, PhD

Associate Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics

Kevin A. Hommel, PhD

Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics
Research Interests
Use of technology to promote self-management in chronic conditions; adherence and self-management assessment methodology; behavioral treatment of...

Naomi E. Joffe, PhD

Associate Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics

Phoebe E. Jordan, PhD

Assistant Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics
Research Interests
Qualitative research related to families' experiences with behavioral health services

Susmita Kashikar-Zuck, PhD

Associate Director, Pediatric Pain Research Center
Research Interests
Psychological factors in pediatric chronic pain; evidence-based interventions for the treatment of pediatric chronic pain; cognitive-behavior...
Research Interests
Emotional and mental healthcare of those affected by heart disease; mental health; neurodevelopment; neurobiological responses to stress;...

Kimberly L. Klages, PhD

Assistant Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics
Research Interests
Pediatric oncology; pain; fatigue; health-related quality of life

Rachel Kramer, PhD

Assistant Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics
Research Interests
Effectiveness of eating disorder treatment (FBT); yoga and various protective factors against eating disorder pathology; impact of eating disorders...

Sanita Ley, PhD

Associate Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics
Research Interests
Pediatric obesity

Kellina Lupas, PhD

Assistant Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics
Research Interests
School mental health; behavioral interventions in the school context; pediatric-school collaboration; parent training; educator professional...
Research Interests
Psychosocial factors associated with pediatric chronic pain; child pain behaviors; parenting behaviors

Constance A. Mara, PhD

Associate Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics
Research Interests
Innovative application of advanced quantitative methods to research in pediatric psychology; pediatric patient-reported outcomes; longitudinal data...

Meghan E. McGrady, PhD

Associate Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics
Research Interests
Treatment adherence; adolescents and young adults; oncology

Kate Meister, PhD

Assistant Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics
Research Interests
Developmental outcomes of NICU graduates; prevention and early intervention
Research Interests
The development of child and parent self-report measures of experiential avoidance and cognitive fusion related to IBD

Erica P. Messer, PsyD

Associate Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics

Avani C. Modi, PhD

Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics
Research Interests
Treatment adherence; health-related quality of life; patient-reported outcomes; executive functioning, adherence barriers, randomized controlled...

Megan Narad, PhD

Associate Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics
Research Interests
Etiology of attention and behavioral disorders, particularly after pediatric brain injury, and improving the lives and functioning of children and...

Alex C. Nyquist, PhD

Staff Psychologist, Integrated Behavioral Health Program, Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology
Research Interests
Emotion development; adolescence; depression; anxiety

James L. Peugh, PhD

Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics
Research Interests
Clinical trials; migraine/headache; pediatric pain; adherence medicine; nutrition and behavior; cystic fibrosis

Rachelle R. Ramsey, PhD

Associate Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics
Research Interests
Treatment adherence; adolescents; pediatric asthma

Brooke Reidy, PhD

Assistant Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics
Research Interests
Biopsychosocial factors affecting pediatric chronic pain, namely continuous headache and migraine

Kristin Loiselle Rich, PhD

Assistant Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics
Research Interests
Adherence to medical regimens; dissemination and implementation of evidence-based behavioral interventions; quality of life

Paige Ryan, PhD

Assistant Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics
Research Interests
Health promotion; physical activity; obesity; anxiety

Shivali Sarawgi, PhD

Assistant Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics
Research Interests
Translational science particularly for the treatment of OCD and anxiety; ASD and emotion regulation; program implementation and utilization

Danielle Simmons, PhD, DBSM

Associate Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics

Shalonda K. Slater, PhD

Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics
Research Interests
Family adjustment to chronic illness; child adjustment to chronic pain

Teresa Smith, PhD

Assistant Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics
Research Interests
Developmental disabilities; mental health equity

Lauren Szulczewski, PsyD

Associate Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics
Research Interests
Family adjustment to pediatric oncology, interdisciplinary care, communication in medical settings, and adherence

Lauren Tadevich, PhD

Assistant Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics
Research Interests
Autism spectrum disorder and co-occurring mental health concerns; adolescents; parenting; anxiety

Leanne Tamm, PhD

Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics
Research Interests
ADHD; ADHD subtypes; non-medication interventions; early intervention and prevention; treatment outcomes; brain-behavior relationships;...

Aaron J. Vaughn, PhD

Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics

Margaret "Meg" H. Zeller, PhD

Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics
Research Interests
Barriers to weight management.