January/February 2025

Welcome to the official Department of Psychology newsletter!

Congratulations

Andre Bastos wins CNS 2025 Young Investigator Award

André was awarded the 2025 Young Investigator Award. The purpose of the Young Investigator Award is to recognize outstanding contributions by scientists early in their career. Two awardees are named by the Awards Committee, and are honored at the CNS Annual meeting. His lecture is titled Multi-Area, high-Density, Laminar Neurophysiology (MaDeLaNe) recordings suggest Predictive Coding is implemented via Predictive Routing.

https://www.cogneurosociety.org/young-investigator-award/

Ashley Watts wins 2025 APS Taylor Spence Award

Vanderbilt University researcher, Ashley Watts, in the Department of Psychology, has been named a recipient of the 2025 APS Janet Taylor Spence Award for Transformative Early Career Contributions, recognizing her innovative work in understanding the complex relationship between psychopathology and addiction.

Jonathan Schaefer APS Rising Star

Association for Psychological Science announced the newest classes of APS Fellows and Rising Stars. Fellows have made sustained outstanding contributions to the science of psychology in the areas of research, teaching, service, and/or application. Rising Stars are in the earliest stages of their research careers post-PhD and have already advanced the field with their innovative work. Congratulations Jonathan!

Conor Smithson awarded the Provost's Pathbreaking Discovery Award

This premier award is from the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, the Vice Provost for Graduate Education and the Dean of the Graduate School.

This award celebrates doctoral students who demonstrate truly exceptional research and scholarship. Conor won it based on his outstanding publication in Annual Review of Psychology. Annual Review in Psychology holds the #1 ranking in both "Psychology (Science)" and "Psychology, Multidisciplinary (Social Science)" categories, with a 2023 impact factor of 23.6. Notably, this article is an expansion of the written portion of his Qualifying exam (MAP). This is a great example for our graduate students on how the MAP can represent a novel and significant contribution to the field.

Clinical Internship Placements

George Abitante

Rush University Medical Center

Chicago, IL

Abagail Ciriegio

Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital

Chicago, IL

Sanjana Ravi

Nationwide Children's Hospital

Columbus, OH

Gabrielle Reimann

Alpert Medical School of Brown University

Providence, RI

Lisa Venanzi

VA Maryland Health Care System/Univ of Maryland

Baltimore, MD

News

Kemeberlee Bonnet and David Schlundt publish in Journal of Psychology

Context:

Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is a burdensome condition of the autonomic nervous system characterized by orthostatic intolerance. We present a subset of findings from a qualitative study investigating the lived experiences of adults with POTS.

Methods:

We conducted a series of focus groups with patients diagnosed with POTS. Discussion topics centered on living with POTS, lifestyle management, and exercise. The focus groups were coded and analyzed using an iterative inductive/deductive approach.

Results:

Pre-diagnosis challenges included diagnostic delays, along with dismissal of patient concerns by clinicians. Emotionally, participants described feelings of anger and confusion, as well as gratitude for their eventual diagnosis. Post-diagnosis challenges were associated with the complexity of medical care, as well as ongoing negative emotional experiences. In both phases, participants highlighted the importance of confronting these challenges by adopting problem-based coping strategies, such as self-advocacy, as well as emotion-focused strategies such as acceptance and social support. (see Figure 1)

Conclusions:

These findings present an opportunity to design psychosocial interventions tailored to support individuals with POTS . By incorporating stress management, coping skill development, and mental health support, such interventions could empower patients to better navigate the challenges of living with POTS.

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/13591053251315374

Woodman Lab honors student Gengshi Hu publishes thesis

Gengshi published his honors thesis in Visual Cognition. It is very rare to publish an honors thesis, much less before they even graduate.

Gengshi is a research assistant in the Woodman Brain Lab. He is currently collecting data in brain stimulation experiments in which he programmed his own memory tasks.

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13506285.2024.2402747

Kemberlee Bonnet publishes manuscript in Journal of Nephrology

Context:

Compared to White patients, African American (AA) patients have a four-fold higher prevalence of kidney failure and higher hemodialysis non-adherence. We assessed perspectives of AA hemodialysis patients on psychosocial factors impacting dialysis adherence, and the use of motivational interviewing, an evidence-based intervention, to improve adherence and outcomes.

Methods:

Self-identified AA hemodialysis patients (N=22) watched a brief video describing motivational interviewing and then completed a semi-structured interview or focus group session. Interview questions explored unique barriers and facilitators of hemodialysis adherence in AAs, and perceived utility of motivational interviewing to address these obstacles. Interviews/focus groups were coded and analyzed using an iterative inductive/deductive approach.

Results:

Themes and sub-themes emerged and culminated in a novel conceptual model informed by three theoretical models of behavior change: Theory of Self-Care Management for Vulnerable Populations; Social Cognitive Theory; and Self Determination Theory. This conceptual model will inform the design of a culturally tailored, motivational interviewing-based intervention to improve dialysis adherence in AAs.

Conclusions:

Integrating AA hemodialysis patient perspectives is critical for enhancing dialysis care delivery and the design of effective interventions such as motivational interviewing to improve dialysis adherence in AA and promote kidney health equity. AA hemodialysis patients view motivational interviewing as a tool to clarify patient priorities, build trust, and promote patient-provider therapeutic alliance. Cultural tailoring of motivational interviewing to address unique barriers of AAs with kidney failure could improve adherence and health outcomes in these vulnerable patients.

https://journals.lww.com/cjasn/fulltext/2025/01000/african_american_patients__perspectives_on.13.aspx

Research Highlights

Park Lab

Yunlai Gui and Joanna Wang gave talks at the International Consortium on Paranoia Research (ICPR) this week. Yunlai’s talk was on “Paranoia and Embodiment of Emotions in Relation to Political Leanings” and Jonna’s talk was titled “ Sex and Paranoia”. Both examined changes in paranoia levels in the general population during the election year. Yunlai and Joanna were the youngest presenters! Joanna graduates in May.

Wallace Lab

The Multisensory Lab at Vanderbilt University needs participants!

Vanderbilt University is seeking children and young adults to participate in a study assessing sensory function across development. The work in the Multisensory Lab focuses on how individuals combine sights, sounds and touch into a single view of the world. To do this, children will engage with various stimuli in an immersive 3-D environment. Children will take part in behavioral tasks and games, and in some we will do non-invasive (EEG) brain recordings in which they wear a comfortable net on their heads.

Qualitative Research Core Lab

Qualitative Research Core (VU-QRC), submitted an abstract that was accepted to the 2025 Vanderbilt Translational Research Forum. What makes our representation at this forum significant is that our Core service was initiated with the support of the Vanderbilt Clinical and Translational Science Award. Formally established in 2013, we are now a services Core within in the Health Services Research Division of the Institute for Medicine and Public Health of the Vanderbilt University Medical Center. She represented the VU-QRC at the poster session.

Welcome!

Ashley Lowther, our new administrative specialist. Ashley previously worked at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital and now joins the administrative team at Vanderbilt University.