Robyn A. Ellis, PhD
Research Fellow, Stress, Anxiety, and Substance Use Laboratory
- Research Fellow in Psychology, Department of Psychiatry
Biography
Robyn A. Ellis, PhD, is a post-doctoral research fellow under the mentorship of Antonia V. Seligowski, PhD, in the Neurocardiac Effects of Stress and Trauma Laboratory and R. Kathryn McHugh, PhD, in the Stress, Anxiety, and Substance Use Laboratory. Dr. Ellis’ graduate research focused on examining emotional mechanisms of post-traumatic stress symptoms and risk-taking behaviors. In 2022, she received the Leonard Krasner Student Dissertation Award from the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies for her work in testing the malleability of these mechanisms through a brief evidence-based intervention for post-traumatic stress symptoms.
Dr. Ellis’ research aims to identify shared psychophysiological and biological mechanisms underlying co-occurring post-traumatic stress symptoms and substance use disorders using translational research methods to generate novel interventions targeting shared mechanisms. In addition to her research, Dr. Ellis specializes in cognitive behavioral therapies for trauma/PTSD, anxiety, and substance use disorders, and leads groups at the LEADER (Law Enforcement, Active Duty, Emergency Response) program at McLean.
Education & Training
- 2016 BS in Psychology, University of Mary Washington
- 2019 MA in Clinical Psychology, Northern Illinois University
- 2022 PhD in Clinical Psychology, Northern Illinois University
- 2021-2022 Clinical Psychology Pre-Doctoral Internship, VA Central Western Massachusetts Healthcare System
