Research

My research asks two big questions: What causes psychological disorders, and what can we do about it? Much of my work focuses on affective disorders like depression, but the questions and methods apply more broadly.

On the treatment side, my lab develops and studies digital interventions for psychopathology. A lot of this work uses technology, including Internet-based and app-based treatments, to make mental health support more accessible to the people who need it. We also use data science to figure out who is most likely to benefit from a given approach, so that care can be matched to the people it will help most.

On the causes side, we use technology, including artificial intelligence, to understand how everyday behaviors contribute to the onset and treatment of psychopathology. For example, we study natural language to learn what the words people use and how they say them can tell us about their mental health, and we use ambulatory assessment (such as smartphones) to capture mood and behavior as people go about their daily lives. Together, these tools let us study psychopathology in the real world rather than just in the lab.

Much of this happens through collaboration. I work closely with students, colleagues at URI, and researchers across the country and around the world.

Mentoring

Mentoring and teaching are some of the most rewarding parts of my job. I see my role as helping students develop skills, confidence, and independence to pursue the questions they care about, and I try to create a lab environment that is supportive, collaborative, and genuinely enjoyable to be part of. During my time at UT Austin, I was fortunate to be recognized for this work with the Raymond Dickson Centennial Endowed Teaching Award and the Silver Spurs Centennial Teaching Fellowship.

Undergraduate students in my lab get an introduction to the research process and the day-to-day work of a psychology lab. Depending on the project, this might include helping recruit and run participants, collecting and managing data, and learning the tools we use to study mental health. It’s a great way to find out whether research is something you want to pursue, and motivated students often grow into larger roles over time.

Graduate students work toward becoming independent researchers. Over the course of the program, students design and lead their own studies, analyze data, present at conferences, publish their work, and develop the clinical and scientific skills they’ll need for the next stage of their careers.

If you’re a student interested in psychopathology, digital interventions, technology, AI, or data science, I’d encourage you to reach out and learn more about the work we do.