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Research Facilitation Committee (RFC)

Mission Statement

A core mission of ABCT is to promote the scientific understanding of behavioral, cognitive, and biological contributors to health and well-being. The Research Facilitation Committee was formed specifically to support this aim. We strive to be a resource for all members, from those conducting research on a regular basis to those more clinically focused who want to be in-the-know on the latest approaches. Our goal is to connect ABCT membership with research-related resources year-round. We achieve this by (1) highlighting the research being conducted by ABCT members through our quarterly Spotlight on Researchers initiative, (2) providing information on relevant funding sources, (3) advancing opportunities for training in research methodology, (4) awarding a graduate student research grant, and (5) sharing research-focused articles from the Behavior Therapist. We also aim to connect members who may work together to develop new research collaborations. We hope you will return to this site again and again as it is updated and becomes a home for all your research needs!

Current Members

Chair: Ryan J. Jacoby, Ph.D.

Massachusetts General Hospital

Shannon Sauer-Zavala, Ph.D.

University of Kentucky

David Langer, Ph.D.

Suffolk University

Blair Wisco, Ph.D.

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Abby Adler Mandel, Ph.D.

The Catholic University of America

Shawn Jones, Ph.D.

Virginia Commonwealth University

Anu Asnaani, Ph.D.

University of Utah

Joseph Carpenter, Ph.D.

National Center for PTSD

Alex Daros, Ph.D.

University of Windsor

Danielle Weber, Ph.D.

University of Georgia

Alexandra Wojda-Burlij

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill / Durham VA

Ramya Ramadurai

Student Member | American University

Primary Activites

Graduate Student Research Grant (GSRG)

We advertise and review the GSRG annually (applications are due in March), which is a merit and need-based award that provides up to $1,000 to facilitate and support graduate student research. The purpose of this grant is to provide funding for doctoral student research that demonstrates a clear financial need in order for the project to succeed. For more details and to apply, please visit the ABCT Awards page (go to the “Open Student Awards” tab). For a list of past award winners, click here.

Spotlight on a Researcher

We select and interview researchers for our Spotlight on a Researcher feature 3 times per year (in addition to profiling the GSRG winner) whose research falls into one of three categories: (1) early career researcher, (2) mid-career researcher, (3) researcher who does work focused on reducing health disparities and/or the mental health of marginalized groups. For a list of past featured researchers and to nominate yourself or another researcher, click here.

Find-a-Researcher Directory

Coming soon! We're currently working with ABCT leadership/staff to put together a research directory (like the find-a-clinician directory) where members can easily find people with similar interests to serve on symposia, consult on grants etc.

Collecting and Disseminating Research Resources

This is a work in progress! Please visit us here.

Join us!

To apply to join our committee, visit ABCT's Getting Involved page.

Featured Researcher

Alexa M. Raudales - Alexa M. Raudales, M.A. (she/her/hers) is a doctoral student at the University of Rhode Island and a member of Dr. Nicole H. Weiss’ STRESS Lab. She was the 2023 recipient of the ABCT Research Facilitation Committee’s Student Research Grant.

Ana Bridges - Ana Bridges, PhD, is a Professor, Director of Clinical Training, and licensed psychologist whose research focuses on understanding and ameliorating factors that interfere with mental health help-seeking in historically marginalized and oppressed groups.

Evan J. White - Evan White, PhD, is an enrolled member of the Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma. He belongs to the Shawnee Chapter of the Native American Church of Oklahoma and the Whiteoak Shawnee Ceremonial Grounds.

Gabrielle Ilagan - We study whether daily fluctuations in invalidation are associated with fluctuations in BPD symptoms, and whether identity-related invalidation and self-validation may serve as a risk and protective factors, respectively, for Black and Latinx people with BPD symptoms.

Shannon Sauer-Zavala - Shannon Sauer-Zavala is a co-developer of the Unified Protocol and is currently developing and testing a novel treatment for borderline personality disorder – BPD Compass.

Taylor A. Burke - Dr. Taylor A. Burke is a clinical psychologist and Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School. The primary aim of her research is to improve the prediction and prevention of self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITBs) among adolescents and young adults.

Meet More Featured Researchers