Research Team
Faculty
John M. Chaney, Ph.D. is a Regents Professor in the Clinical Psychology training program at Oklahoma State University (OSU) and Clinical Professor at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (OUHSC). With 130 publications, Chaney’s 30 year research career has focused on parent and youth adjustment to pediatric chronic medical conditions, primarily testing models of parent and youth cognitive appraisals associated with emotional adjustment outcomes in pediatric autoinflammatory illnesses (i.e., juvenile arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease).
Christina Duncan, Ph.D. first joined Oklahoma State University in January 2024 as a tenured professor. Prior to this, she served as a faculty member at West Virginia University for over 21 years. She previously served as the training coordinator for clinical child psychology at WVU, as well as the Director of WVU's departmental training clinic for several years. At WVU, Dr. Duncan was honored to receive the Eberly College of Arts & Sciences Outstanding Researcher Award (2017), the Ethel & Gerry Heebink Award for Distinguished State Service (2020), and the WVU Benedum Distinguished Scholar Award (2022).
Larry L. Mullins, Ph.D. received his Ph.D. from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1983. He interned at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center with his primary placement in Pediatric Psychology. Dr. Mullins' primary professional identity is as a Pediatric Psychologist, and he has spent the past 30 years focusing both his research and clinical practice in the area of chronic health conditions in children. Dr. Mullins previously served as the Vaughn Vennerberg II Chair of Psychology and APA Fellow of Division 54, Society of Pediatric Psychology. Dr. Mullins is currently a Professor Emeritus at Oklahoma State University.
Affiliate Faculty
- Amanda Baraldi, Ph.D., Associate Professor
- Carrick Carter, Psy.D., Assistant Professor and Director of Psychological Services for Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.
- Misty Hawkins, Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist and Associate Professor, Department of Health and Wellness Design, Indiana University
- Thad Leffingwell, Ph.D., Professor and Clinical Health Psychologist
- Alayna Tackett, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Division of Medical Oncology and The Center for Tobacco Research, Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center (OSUCCC)
- Ted Wagener, Ph.D. Professor and Endowed Chair, Department of Internal Medicine, Ohio State University
- Amy Wisniewski, Ph.D., Research Professor
Advisory Board
- David Elkin, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior and Executive Director of the Center for Advancement of Youth (CAY) at the University of Mississippi Medical Center
- Bernard Fuemmeler, Ph.D., MPH, Professor and Gordon D. Ginder, MD Endowed Chair in Cancer Research and Associate Director of Cancer Prevention and Control, Virginia Commonwealth University’s Massey Cancer Center
- Stephen Gillaspy, Ph.D., Senior Director, Health Care Financing Practice Directorate, American Psychological Association
- Kevin Hommel, Ph.D., Tenured Professor of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC) and University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
- David Janicke, Ph.D., ABPP, Professor and Associate Chair, Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida
- Ahna Pai, Ph.D., Director, Patient and Family Wellness Center, Cancer and Blood Diseases Institute and Professor of Pediatrics in Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
- Eugene Walker, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
Students
Postdoctoral Fellows
- Nate Basile, Ph.D., Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Cincinnati, OH
- Alexandra Blair, Ph.D., OU Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK
- Taylor Dattilo, Ph.D., Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH
- Clayton Edwards, Ph.D., OU Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK
- Rachel Fisher, Ph.D., Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
- Makena Tapscott, Ph.D.
Pre-Doctoral Interns
- Lexie DeLone, M.A., M.S., CCLS, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH
Graduate Trainees
Fifth Year Students
Colton Parker, M.S. is a fifth-year graduate student at Oklahoma State University under the mentorship of John M. Chaney, Ph.D. Colton received his Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Oklahoma State University. Colton’s research focuses on psychosocial adjustment in youth diagnosed with IBD.
Fourth-Year Students
Gabriella Atencio, M.S., M.B.A. is a fourth-year graduate student in the Oklahoma State University clinical psychology Ph.D. program under the mentorship of Dr. Kara Kerr. Gabriella received her Master of Business Administration and Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at the University of New Mexico. Her research interests include how adversity and pubertal development influence neurodevelopment and mental health in youth.
Third-Year Students
Gabe Cochran, M.S. is a third-year graduate student in the Oklahoma State University clinical psychology Ph.D. program under the mentorship of John M. Chaney, Ph.D and a member of the Osage Nation. Gabe is also working under the mentorship of Evan White, Ph.D. at the Laureate Institute for Brain Research. Gabe completed her Bachelor of Science in Psychology at Oklahoma State University. Gabe's research focuses on psychosocial adjustment and barriers to care in youth diagnosed with chronic illness and their families, especially in American Indian families and other minority groups. Gabe aims to identify strengths and cultural protective factors contributing to health in marginalized communities.
Megan Kozak, M.S. is a third-year graduate student in the Oklahoma State University clinical psychology Ph.D. program under the mentorship of Dr. Christina Duncan. Her research interests include identifying risk and resilience factors associated with treatment adherence and transition readiness, family-based interventions to improve health adjustment through a systems framework, and the impact of socioeconomic factors on quality of life & health outcomes in pediatric populations.
Second-Year Students
Sarah Barter, B.S. is a second-year graduate student in the Oklahoma State University clinical psychology Ph.D. program under the mentorship of Dr. Christina Duncan. Her research interests are adherence to treatment and transition readiness for children with chronic illnesses. She has specific interests in kids with IBD/IBS and Type 1 Diabetes. In her free time, Sarah enjoys performing in theater, taking dance classes and crafting.
First-Year Students
Jonathan Arcona, B.A. is a first-year graduate student in the Oklahoma State University clinical psychology Ph.D. program under the mentorship of Dr. Christina Duncan. His research interests include predictors of transition readiness and adherence in pediatric chronic illness, dissemination and implementation of sustainable interventions aimed at improving adherence and transition readiness, and mental health and psychological factors that influence positive treatment outcomes in chronic illness populations.
Sarah Schellhaas, B.S. is a first-year graduate student in the Oklahoma State University clinical psychology Ph.D. program under the mentorship of Dr. Christina Duncan. Her research interests include self-management and resilience in children and families living with chronic illness, particularly Type 1 Diabetes, adherence to medical regimens in pediatric chronic illness, and development of technology-based behavioral interventions to support chronic illness management in children.
Institutional and Community Partnerships
Our in-state partners include Pediatric Psychology Faculty and Pediatricians at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City as well as the JD McCarty Center for Children with Developmental Disabilities in Norman, OK. Out-of-state partners that we have worked with in the past or currently work with on research projects include the Intramural Branch of NIH, University of Mississippi Medical Center, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago, Cornell University Medical Center, University of San Francisco Medical Center, Washington University Medical Center, Cincinnati Children’s Medical Hospital Center, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Cook Children’s Hospital of Fort Worth, and Denver Children’s Hospital.