EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

SIG CHAIR

Marlene Strege, Ph.D.

The Neurocognitive Therapies and Translational Research Special Interest Group (NTTR SIG) leads the way in translating research on the neurobiological underpinnings of mental illness to improve current treatments and develop novel interventions. Our mission is to help bridge neuroscience and clinical applications. We aim to produce and disseminate translational neuroscience research, to foster communications on the intersection of neuroscience and clinical practice within the ABCT organization and the larger clinical science community. I am thrilled to contribute to this mission as an active ABCT and NTTR SIG member since 2013 and recently elected NTTR SIG chair.

I am a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Pittsburgh conducting translational neuroscience research. I study the neurobiological underpinnings of depression’s chronicity that persist after treatment and make a patient vulnerable to future symptomatology. I aim to use research on post-treatment neural vulnerabilities to develop recovery-oriented clinical practices grounded in neuroscience. In recent years, I have worked with NTTR SIG leadership and ABCT’s Neuroscience Think Tank to organize conference discussions among diverse stakeholders (neuroscientists, implementation researchers, and clinicians) on identifying and addressing neuroscience translation barriers. As part of this work, I also surveyed clinicians on their experiences with and attitudes toward neuroscience research. I published survey results in the Behavior Therapist to share findings with ABCT's members. From these experiences, I have seen so much value in cross-stakeholder communication and the opportunities ABCT provides to engage in these discussions, to share clinically meaningful neuroscience research with treatment providers and also hear from providers how to increase the clinical potential of research. Our SIG has a unique opportunity within the ABCT organization to inform both clinical research and practice and to advance the field. I am excited to serve as chair and see this progress continue!

TREASURY CHAIR

Mary Woody Ph.D.

I am delighted to serve as the Treasurer of the NTTR SIG. I am an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and practicing licensed psychologist at the University of Pittsburgh who is passionate about the clinical application of neuroscience. My multidisciplinary program of research focuses on the use of neuroimaging (EEG, fMRI), psychophysiology (pupillometry, autonomic nervous system activity), and behavior (facial affect, eye tracking) to identify and modify mechanisms underlying the development of depression and other internalizing disorders in both adolescents and adults.

REPRESENTATIVE-AT-LARGE / OUTREACH CHAIR

Kean Hsu, Ph.D.

Kean J. Hsu, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at National University of Singapore and the Representative-at-Large / Outreach Chair for the NTTR SIG. His research investigates how basic cognitive processes (e.g., attention, executive functioning) impact the etiology and exacerbate symptom severity of depression and anxiety. He is also interested in scalable mental health interventions (e.g., cognitive training, brief interventions) and examining mechanisms underlying psychotherapeutic interventions, as well as increasing awareness of issues surrounding mental health and stigma in communities that are typically under-served or under-utilize mental health services. Clinically, Kean specialises in the treatment of depression, anxiety disorders, and stress in adults.

Kean completed a B.A. with honours in psychology (with a behavioural neuroscience specialization) at Yale University before receiving his Ph.D. in clinical psychology at the University of Southern California in 2014. He completed postdoctoral research fellowships at McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School, the University of California, Los Angeles, and the University of Texas at Austin. He previously co-directed the Anxiety and Stress Clinic with Jasper Smits, Ph.D., at UT-Austin. Most recently, Kean was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Georgetown University.

MEMBERSHIP CHAIR

Maria Kryza-Lacombe, Ph.D.

I’m currently a postdoctoral fellow in Neuropsychology/Geropsychology at the Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Centers (MIRECC) program at the San Francisco VA and the Late Life Depression Program at UC San Francisco. Throughout my professional and academic trajectory my research focus has been at the intersection of mental and cognitive health and has been informed by perspectives from neuroscience, neuropsychology, and mental health with a strong focus on clinical translation. Through my clinical neuropsychology training I have developed an interest in the neural mechanisms underlying emotional and cognitive dysfunction and resilience in older adults, and how these mechanisms can be leveraged to inform cognitive and behavioral prevention and intervention efforts to optimize wellbeing and vitality during the aging process. For more on my work, please see my website.

The Neurocognitive Therapies and Translational Research SIG has been an important part of my professional journey since 2017, when I joined the SIG as a student member. I immediately felt at home in this community of individuals who are passionate about about neuroscience, mental health, and intervention, and was particularly drawn to the focus on clinical translation. As the SIG’s Student Representative, I focused on student needs and ultimately developed the SIG’s Mentorship Program. I am grateful for the opportunity to now continue serving the SIG as the Membership Chair and focus on the needs of the NTTR SIG membership at large.

SIG FOUNDER

Jan Mohlman, Ph.D.

Dr. Mohlman conducts research that seeks to explain how processes of aging (e.g., hearing loss, progressive brain disease, deficits in cognitive skills) impact the presentation and treatment of anxiety in later life. This line of inquiry places particular importance on the executive system (e.g., complex cognitive skills such as reasoning, dividing attention, and metacognition) because these skills decline in later life, and are known to be involved in the management and regulation of emotion, anxiety in particular. Dr. Mohlman’s work also extends to treatment outcome research, applying methodology from affective and cognitive neuroscience to inform studies of 1) cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and 2) the presentation of anxiety and related clinical problems. Recent research interests also include emotional contrast and technophobia in older adults. Dr. Mohlman along with Drs. Thilo Deckersbach and Adam Weissman, was the editor of the SIG’s recent book entitled, From Symptom to Synapse: A Neurocognitive Perspective on Clinical Psychology published by Routledge.

STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE

Abby Szkutak, B.A.

I am currently working toward my PhD in Clinical Psychology at Teachers College, Columbia University under the mentorship of Dr. Douglas Mennin in the Regulation of Emotion in Anxiety and Depression (READ) Lab. My research interests lie at the intersection of affective neuroscience and clinical psychology. I am particularly interested in understanding affective, attentional, cognitive, and behavioral mechanisms underlying the transdiagnostic treatment of perseverative negative thinking using neuroscience (e.g., fMRI, EEG) and psychophysiology (e.g., ECG, EGG) techniques. Since I officially joined the SIG in 2020, I have been strongly committed to the SIG’s mission of using cognitive and affective neuroscience techniques to better understand how and for whom therapeutic interventions work. As the SIG's Student Representative, I hope to continue helping the SIG grow by connecting more students to our amazing community. I also hope to sustain and improve the SIG’s mentorship program; I am most definitely standing on the shoulders of giants!

WEBSITE MANAGER

Marvin Yan, M.A.

I am currently a PhD student in the Clinical Science & Psychopathology Research Program at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities working with Drs. Bonnie Klimes-Dougan and Kathryn Cullen. Broadly, my program of research uses neuroimaging/neuromodulation to better understand the neural circuitry underlying depression and suicidal thoughts/behaviors. Recently, I have started becoming more interested in rethinking how we collect and analyze data from participants, and started exploring machine learning analytical techniques along with wearable device data collection. I joined the NTTR SIG unofficially in 2020 to help work on the website and am thrilled to join the team officially! The NTTR SIG has given me the opportunity to help organize meaningful SIG-sponsored initiatives and I hope to share our work with everyone both on and off of the website!

SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY COMMITTEE:

Greg Siegle, Ph.D., Senior Advisor to the Chair

Angela Fang, Ph.D., Past-President

Ryan Jacoby, Ph.D.

Andrew Peckham, Ph.D.

Thilo Deckersbach, Ph.D., Past-President

Rudi De Raedt, Ph.D.

GOVERNANCE ARCHIVES:

Former SIG Officers

Jan Mohlman, SIG Founder and Former Chair

Thilo Deckersbach, Former Chair, Former Membership/Treasury Chair

Adam Weissman, Former Chair, Former Membership/Treasury Chair

Rebecca Price, Former Chair

Kristen K. Ellard, Former Chair

Jonathan Stange, Former Student Representative

Andrew Peckham, Former Student Representative, Former Website Manager

Elissa Hamlat, Former Student Representative

Peter Hitchcock, Former Social Media Manager

Berda Gilmore, Former Newsletter Designer