Our Team

Jasper Smits, PhD

Director & Professor

Jasper Smits, Ph.D., is a professor of Psychology. His research program centers on developing and validating innovative intervention strategies for anxiety and related problems. His work spans basic studies on mechanisms of change and moderators of treatment response to clinical trials evaluating novel behavioral and pharmacological interventions. A key focus of his work is to improve the efficacy and reach of exposure therapy. To this end, Dr. Smits established the international Exposure Therapy Consortium. His work also examines the interplay between anxiety vulnerability and health behaviors, particularly smoking, leading to specialized cessation treatments targeting anxiety sensitivity through exercise. Dr. Smits has published over 250 works and has been PI, Co-I, or mentor on grants totaling over $23 million from federal agencies such as the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), the National Cancer Institute (NCI), and the Department of Defense (DOD), alongside state and industry funding

Jasper Smits' Publications

Adam R. Cobb, PhD

Clinical Assistant Professor

Adam Cobb received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Texas at Austin, completed his clinical internship at the Medical University of South Carolina and Ralph H. Johnson VA Health Care System Research Consortium, and postdoctoral fellowship through the National Crime Victim’s Research and Treatment Center and Brain Stimulation Laboratory at MUSC-DVA before joining the Department of Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin in 2021. He also presently serves as an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at MUSC. His program of research is dedicated to identifying biological, behavioral, affective, and cognitive risk and resilience factors for anxiety, fear, and stress-related disorders, and to enhance existing evidence-based treatments by delineating and targeting core mechanisms of therapeutic change, and through innovative augmentations, including various forms of neuromodulation, pharmacological adjuncts, and cognitive and behavioral strategies.

Adam Cobb's Publications

Richard Brown, PhD

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.

Richard Brown's Publications

Amitai Abramovitch, PhD

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.

Amitai Abramovitch's Publications

Talya Leibowicz, PhD

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.

Talya Leibowicz's Publications

Abigail Winskowicz, B.A.

Research Coordinator

Abby graduated from Auburn University in December of 2022 with a B.A. in Psychology. Prior to joining the Anxiety & Health Behaviors Lab, Abby worked as a Mental Health Associate at San Marcos Treatment Center, a residential psychiatric treatment center. She also spent time as a Research Assistant in the Juvenile Delinquency Lab at Auburn University. Abby currently works as a research coordinator for the Anxiety & Health Behaviors Lab in a study examining tobacco cessation in hospitalized psychiatric patients. Her research interests include trauma and substance use. Abby plans to pursue a doctoral degree in clinical psychology.

Grace Vogelzang McClure, B.S.

Research Coordinator

Grace graduated from Georgetown University in May 2019 with a B.S. in Healthcare Management & Policy. After graduating, she spent several years working in healthcare strategy and operations roles, including at McKinsey & Company and, most recently, Lyra Health, a mental health benefits company. Grace joined the Anxiety and Health Behaviors Lab in July 2024 as a research coordinator supporting the Targeted Plasticity Therapy for the Treatment of PTSD study and the CO₂ Biomarker study. Her research interests include understanding the learning and emotional mechanisms that underlie PTSD and other anxiety disorders with the goal of developing more effective clinical interventions. She’s also interested in the intersection of these disorders with close relationships, particularly couples. Grace plans to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology

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 PhD in clinical psychology.

Inés Iriondo, B.A.

Research Coordinator

Biography coming soon!

Marla I. Sarmiento, B. S.

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.

Sydney Thureen, B.S.

Research Coordinator

Sydney graduated from Penn State University in December of 2022 with a B.S. in Biobehavioral Health and a minor in Psychology. Prior to joining the Anxiety & Health Behaviors Lab (AHBL), Sydney worked as a research assistant in the REPEAT Lab at Penn State where she assessed physiological and psychological stress responses during substance use episodes. Sydney joined the AHBL in July 2023 as a research coordinator and currently works on a project examining the efficacy of a 15-week exercise-based smoking cessation intervention in adults with high anxiety sensitivity. She is particularly interested in researching adolescent and young adult substance use as well as psychosocial determinants of health behaviors to establish feasible behavioral interventions. Sydney would like to strengthen her research skills before pursuing a PhD in health sciences or public health.

Tara M. Moore, B.A.

Clinical Assessment Coordinator

Tara M. Moore, pronounced Tar-uh, graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in May of 2022 with a B.A. in Psychology and English and a Texas teaching certification in English Language Arts and Reading 7-12. After graduation, she briefly worked as a high school teacher before pivoting careers and joining the Anxiety and Health Behaviors Lab as a research coordinator for the CO₂ Biomarker study. She now administers the clinical assessments for the PTSD and CO₂ Biomarker study and acts as site manager for the lab, Exposure Therapy Consortium, and the Mechanistic Behavioral Research Consortium. Her main research interests include mood disorders and the micro and macro effects of racialized trauma in the African American community, with the hope of establishing more holistic clinical interventions for minorities experiencing stress-related conditions and health disparities. She will apply to Clinical and Counseling Psychology PhD programs this cycle.

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.