Jasper Smits, Ph.D.
Director & Professor
Jasper Smits, Ph.D. is Professor of Psychology at The University of Texas at Austin. His research focuses on improving the effectiveness, accessibility, and implementation of evidence-based treatments for anxiety and related disorders.
Dr. Smits' work spans studies of mechanisms and moderators of treatment response, treatment development and optimization, and randomized clinical trials evaluating behavioral and pharmacological interventions. A major focus of this work is exposure-based cognitive behavioral therapy, including identifying strategies to strengthen treatment response and understanding how treatments can be delivered effectively across clinical settings and modalities.
Dr. Smits is founder of the international Exposure Therapy Consortium, which brings together researchers and clinicians working to advance the science and practice of exposure therapy. He has published more than 275 scientific works and has served as principal investigator, co-investigator, and mentor on numerous federally funded research projects, including awards from the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense.
Richard Brown, Ph.D
Research Professor
Richard Brown received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Oregon and completed his internship in clinical psychology at Brown Medical School. He was on the faculty of Rutgers University before returning to Brown, where he spent 25 years as faculty in the medical school before moving to the University of Texas at Austin in 2014. His research has been focused across a variety of areas, including the development of efficacious tobacco cessation treatments, including specialized treatments for smokers with psychiatric and substance use disorders, the efficacy of aerobic exercise in the treatment of tobacco and other substance dependence and OCD, and intervention approaches to adult and adolescent alcohol and drug abuse. Rick has published over 190 articles, book chapters, and books. He is a Fellow of the Society for Behavioral Medicine and of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. He is currently serving on the Editorial Board of Contemporary Clinical Trials.
Amitai Abramovitch, Ph.D.
Adjunct Associate Professor
Dr. Amitai Abramovitch is a licensed psychologist and clinical neuropsychologist who received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Tel Aviv University. He subsequently completed a fellowship in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and MGH, funded by the Rothschild Family Postdoctoral Fellowship. Before joining the Department of Psychology at UT Austin, he was a faculty member in the Department of Psychology at Texas State University for 10 years. He has published over 65 peer-reviewed manuscripts and book chapters and serves on several journal editorial boards. His research interests include the cognitive neuroscience of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and related disorders, the impact of psychopathology on cognitive function, and psychometrics. Additionally, he is interested in the transition of OCD from childhood to adulthood and the effectiveness of exposure and response prevention (ExRP) treatment for OCD in real-world private practice settings. He continues to provide empirically supported psychotherapy and neuropsychological assessments through is private practice.
Talya Leibowicz, Ph.D.
Clinical Assistant Professor
Talya received her B.S. in Psychology from Yale University and her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from The University of Texas at Austin. She completed her clinical internship at The Counseling and Mental Health Center at UT Austin, before joining the faculty as a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology. Prior to graduate school, she worked on psychosocial support interventions for refugees and first responders globally. Her research interests lie in understanding risk factors and enhancing interventions for anxiety and PTSD. Talya is also a practicing psychologist and works with patients to foster resilience and well-being in the face of anxiety, trauma, and life transitions.
Christy Dutcher, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Christy received her M.Ed. in Counseling from the University of Houston and her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Texas at Austin. She completed her clinical internship at the Central Texas VA Health Care System, serving Veterans diagnosed with PTSD, a range of anxiety and mood disorders, and substance use disorders. Her research interests include understanding factors that impact the effectiveness of CBT and exposure-based therapy in order to optimize treatment outcomes for anxiety and mood disorders.
Hannah Adams, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Hannah graduated from Kansas State University in 2019 with her B.S. in Human Development and Family Science. She recently completed her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology at the University of Kansas. Her clinical experiences include college counseling, community mental health, and adolescent intensive outpatient work. She most recently completed her doctoral internship at the Center for Anxiety in New York, where she worked with a broad range of anxiety disorders across the lifespan, as well as PTSD in 9/11 first responders. Her training has been in CBT, DBT, and Person-Centered Therapy, with a focus on Self-Compassion. Hannah is committed to providing empirically supported interventions to a wide range of diagnoses in order to increase patients’ autonomy and well-being in the face of anxiety, trauma, grief, and other life stressors.
Marla I. Sarmiento, B. S.
Senior Research Program Coordinator
Lab Manager
Marla I. Sarmiento graduated from Texas A&M University in August 2021 with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. Marla joined the Anxiety and Health Behaviors Lab in June 2023 as a Research Coordinator working on the Community-based Smoking Cessation Treatment for Adults with High Anxiety Sensitivity study and the Targeted Plasticity Therapy for the Treatment of PTSD study. In April 2025, she became the Anxiety and Health Behaviors Lab Manager and now oversees overall lab activities. Marla is interested in pursuing further education in the field of psychology, primarily working with minority and under-resourced communities with mental health disparities.
David Flynn, B.A.
Research Coordinator
David Flynn graduated from Colorado College in 2022 with a Bachelor of Arts in Integrative Design and Architecture. Following roles in advertising and hospitality, he completed a year of post-baccalaureate psychology coursework at Columbia University, where he studied cognitive neuroscience, abnormal psychology, statistics, and behavioral research methods. David joined the Anxiety and Health Behaviors Lab in June 2025 as the research coordinator for the CO₂ Biomarker study. David's research interests include substance use, affective disorders, and behavioral interventions for their treatment. He is particularly interested in identifying protective factors that reduce the risk of substance misuse and support long-term recovery. He is excited to further develop his clinical research experience as he prepares to pursue a Ph.D. in clinical psychology.
Victoria Ficara, B.S.
Research Coordinator
Victoria Ficara graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in May 2024 with a B.S. in Biology and a Field of Study in Psychology. Prior to joining the Anxiety & Health Behaviors Lab (AHBL), she worked as a Patient Care Technician in the Medical/Surgical unit at St. David’s Medical Center, where she provided direct support to patients and clinical staff in a fast-paced hospital setting. Victoria joined AHBL in April 2025 as a Research Coordinator and currently works on the Targeted Plasticity Therapy for the Treatment of PTSD study. Her research interests include trauma, anxiety disorders, and fear extinction-based learning. She is currently focused on strengthening her research skills in preparation for pursuing graduate education in psychology.
Inés Iriondo, B.A.
Research Coordinator
Inés graduated from Rice University in May of 2025 with a B.A. in Cognitive Sciences. Prior to joining the Anxiety & Health Behaviors Lab (AHBL), Inés worked as a research assistant at the Mood, Memory, and Aging Lab, where she investigated the impact of emotion regulation on memory through behavioral mnemonic discrimination tasks. Inés joined the AHBL in June 2025 as a Research Coordinator and currently works on the Community-based Smoking Cessation Treatment for Adults with High Anxiety Sensitivity Program (STEP3) study. Her research interests include studying the risk factors for substance abuse, specifically within minority communities. Inés plans to strengthen her research skills to pursue a graduate degree in clinical psychology.
David Snodgrass, B.A.
Research Coordinator
David Snodgrass graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a B.A. in Psychology in 2026. As an undergraduate, he worked as a research assistant in the Anxiety and Health Behaviors Lab on the ROSE Study and spent two years in the Developing Intelligence Lab. He currently serves as a research coordinator in the Anxiety & Health Behaviors Lab, contributing to a study examining tobacco cessation among hospitalized psychiatric patients. His research interests focus on integrating emerging technologies into evidence-based care for anxiety disorders and maladaptive coping behaviors. He is excited to continue developing his clinical research skills as he prepares to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology.
Azwaa Ali, B.A., MSW
Research Coordinator
Azwaa Ali graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a B.A. in Psychology in 2021. As an undergraduate, she volunteered as a research assistant in the Lifespan Development Lab and Self-Regulation Lab. After completing her undergraduate studies, Azwaa attended graduate school in Social Work and began working at Dell Children’s Pediatrics, where she led a mental health program for patients with anxiety, adjustment disorders, ADHD, and depression. Through this field experience, Azwaa developed an interest in researching how these conditions contribute to maladaptive coping and health-risk behaviors, as well as in developing interventions that support individuals navigating both mental health challenges and complex health needs. Azwaa joined the AHBL in August 2026 as a Research Coordinator for the Community-based Smoking Cessation Treatment for Adults with High Anxiety Sensitivity Program (STEP3) study. She plans to pursue a doctoral degree in clinical psychology after further developing her research skills.
Vanessa Salazar Correa
Research Coordinator
Vanessa Salazar Correa graduated from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County in August 2025 with a B.S. in Psychology. As an undergraduate research assistant, Vanessa contributed to research in the Affect, Cognition, and Emotional Disorders Lab, studying cognitive mechanisms and social anxiety. Her honors thesis focused on understanding semantic memory associations and their relation to rumination in individuals with depressive symptoms. Vanessa joined the Anxiety & Health Behaviors Lab in August 2026 as a Research Coordinator for the Community-based Smoking Cessation Treatment for Adults with High Anxiety Sensitivity Program (STEP3) study. Her research interests include affective disorders, cognitive mechanisms underlying anxiety, and behavioral interventions and treatment. She aims to strengthen her research skills and pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology.
Leah McMahon, Fifth Year
M.A., University of Texas - Austin
Leah McMahon received her B.S.A. in Human Development and Family Sciences from the University of Texas at Austin. At the University of Florida, she conducted post-baccalaureate research focused on developing digital health interventions that target modifiable health behaviors in at-risk populations. Her doctoral research program focuses on identifying and modulating the biological and psychological processes underlying anxiety and trauma-related disorders, with the goal of developing more personalized and effective interventions.
Leah is currently on internship at Harvard Medical School.
Bryan McSpadden, Third Year
B.S., University of Texas - Austin
Bryan McSpadden received his B.S. in Psychology from the University of Texas at Austin and worked as a research coordinator for two years in the Anxiety and Health Behaviors Lab. During this period, he primarily assisted on a project that aimed to identify biomarkers of treatment non-response in individuals diagnosed with anxiety and anxiety-related disorders. He later changed roles in the lab when he was accepted into the University’s Clinical Psychology PhD program as one of Dr. Smits’ graduate students. His research interests include the augmentation of basic extinction learning processes to enhance exposure-based psychotherapeutic treatments for anxiety and related problems.
Kathryn Rachel Drury, First Year
B.M., Northwestern University
Rachel graduated from Northwestern University in 2021 with a double major in psychology and opera performance. Following her undergraduate studies, she worked as a clinical research coordinator at the NARC Lab at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, where she managed several multimodal neuroimaging studies in human addiction. Rachel is currently a PhD student at UT Austin under the co-mentorship of Dr. Jasper Smits and Dr. Josh Cisler. She is interested in how mechanisms underlying learning and memory can inform accessible interventions that foster resilience in stress-exposed and treatment-resistant populations.
Nicholas Kim, First Year
B.S., B.A., University of California Santa Barbara
Nicholas Kim received his B.S. in Psychological and Brain Sciences and B.A. in Philosophy and Religious Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara. After graduating, he conducted post-baccalaureate research at Mass General Brigham/Harvard Medical School, where he coordinated projects developing risk calculators for psychosis and investigating mechanisms of exposure therapy for OCD. His research interests include the individualization and optimization of treatments for anxiety and related problems
Gargi Rakhade
Research Assistant
Gargi Rakhade is a senior undergraduate student at the University of Texas at Austin pursuing a B.S. in Honors Psychology with a minor in Health Communications. She is currently completing her honors thesis investigating individual differences in response to a social anxiety intervention. Gargi joined the Anxiety and Health Behaviors Lab as a research assistant on the ROSE study in 2025 and now contributes to the CO2 Biomarkers study. Her research interests center on understanding what drives variability in treatment response, with a broader goal of developing more personalized interventions for individuals with anxiety and mood disorders. She is excited to further her clinical research experience and plans to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology following graduation.
Livvy Gaglione
Research Assistant
Livvy Gaglione is an undergraduate student pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work. She earned her Associate’s Degree in Psychology and currently does art therapy with individuals who have intellectual and developmental disabilities. While working on the ROSE Study, she had the opportunity to engage in clinical research, investigating the effects of writing on social anxiety. She has continued her interest in research and currently works on the CO2 Biomarker Study. After graduating, she plans to take the necessary steps to become a therapist who serves marginalized communities.
Derek Kouch
Research Assistant
Derek Kouch is a third-year undergraduate student pursuing a B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Educational Psychology. He works as a research assistant for the STEP3 study. His interests include better understanding the unique perspectives of individuals with mental health disorders, particularly Anxiety Disorders and Mood Disorders. After graduating, he plans on pursuing a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. In his free time, he enjoys playing sports and exploring new hobbies.
Gwenyth Fife
Research Assistant
Gwenyth Fife is an undergraduate student at The University of Texas at Austin pursuing a B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Business. She is currently a Research Assistant in the Anxiety & Health Behaviors Lab, where she works on the CO₂ Biomarker Study. During the past year, she worked on the Reflecting on Social Experiences (ROSE) Study, where she gained experience in participant engagement, data collection, and psychological research. Her research interests include child development, anxiety, and mental health interventions for children and adolescents. Through her involvement in research, she hopes to better understand the factors that influence psychological well-being and contribute to evidence-based approaches to mental health care. After graduation, she plans to pursue a doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology and become a child psychologist.
Kendall Johnson
Research Assistant
Kendall Johnson is a junior majoring in Psychology with minors in Kinesiology and Health Education and African and African Diaspora Studies. She currently serves as a Research Assistant in the Anxiety & Health Behaviors Lab, where she contributes to the CO₂ Biomarker Study. Her academic and professional interests center on destigmatizing mental health within sports and advocating for mental health as an integral part of the athlete experience. She is particularly interested in providing clinical therapy to athletes across all levels and domains of sport. Her research interests include traumatic brain injury, Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), and developing more effective approaches to the prevention and treatment of mental and neurological health concerns among athletes. She is also passionate about conducting culturally responsive research and ensuring that appropriate, accessible treatments are developed and administered to historically underrepresented communities and cultures. She is excited to continue expanding her clinical and research experience and plans to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology following graduation.
Lab Alum
STAFF
-Grace Vogelzang McClure - Working in Private Sector -Sydney Thureen - Obtaining Masters Degree at Duke -Star Moore - Taking Graduate Level Classes at UC Santa Barbara -Jenni Figueroa - Transitioned to Fonzo Lab -Abby Winskowicz - Obtaining Law Degree at UT School of Law
RESEARCH ASSISTANTS
-Tessa Whitham -Amritha Pandian -Annabelle Cummings -Bennett Griere -Zara Chauhan -Zuhani Vasa -Sanjana Putta -Matthew Rendon -Jocelyn Perez -Jack Hamlin -Ella Vonderahe -Bhavini Kalyan