Scott Graupensperger

My research focuses on how social influences shape individuals’ health behaviors in both constructive (e.g., physical activity) and risky ways (e.g., alcohol use). I take a translational approach to my research in that I aim to understand how social processes, such as normative influences, relate to behavior so that we can leverage these influences to reduce harm and improve health.

Specific areas of interest include alcohol and other substance use, mental health, and gambling/sports betting. My primary focus is helping young adults during the transition into adulthood.

I have a background in sport psychology, and am passionate about helping athletes navigate the unique stressors involved in high-level sport. In this domain, I serve as a fellow at the U.S. Center for Mental Health and Sport.

Kristine McKenna

My clinical and research interests are strongly anchored in efforts to improve the quality of life and coping of children and adolescents with chronic illness. As a pediatric psychologist at Seattle Children’s Hospital, I provide assessment and intervention services to patients within the Heart Failure and Heart Transplant Program. My role involves assisting with issues such as adherence to medical regimens, teaching long-term stress reduction strategies to families, and empowering adolescents as they move toward adulthood and assume greater responsibility for their care. I am currently involved in QI projects including screening for psychological coping and risk factors as well as to help prepare our patients for transition to adult transplant programs.

Koriann Cox

Koriann Cox, Ph.D. graduated from Northeastern University and is licensed in the state of Washington. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship in co-occurring addiction and mental health and has a range of clinical experience with a variety of concerns including depression, anxiety, trauma, reproductive mental health, and substance and behavioral addictions.  Dr. Cox’s strengths-focused approach emphasizes the mutual development of goals for therapy and ongoing collaboration between herself, the patient, and the care team. Dr. Cox uses a number of therapeutic modalities including but not limited to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Cognitive Processing Therapy.

Alissa Hemke

I am a child and adolescent psychiatrist with interests in medical education, infant and early childhood mental health, and psychotherapy. I direct psychotherapy training for child and adolescent psychiatry (CAP) fellows, co-lead the CAP fellows’ didactic curriculum, and coordinate the CAP training experiences of general psychiatry residents.

My clinical work includes treatment in the outpatient setting for young children through adolescents, working closely with their families. In my own work, and in teaching trainees, I am passionate about psychiatrists supporting families comprehensively. I seek to use not only medications (if appropriate) but also behavioral/psychotherapeutic approaches.

My research focuses on expanding behavioral treatments for young children by involving peer supports—caregivers who have previously participated in the programs for their own children—as members of the care team. I am especially interested in this increasing access and fit of the treatment for underserved communities, and currently work in partnership with the Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic.

Jessica A. Blayney

Dr. Blayney’s research aims to understand the risks for and consequences of sexual victimization. More specifically, this work centers around how social contexts influence sexual victimization risk as well as variation in post-victimization recovery, such as posttraumatic stress disorder, alcohol use, and sexual risk behaviors.

Charles C. Engel

Dr. Charles Engel (he/him) is Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington School of Medicine, Core VA HSR&D Investigator in the Seattle Center for Innovation, Codirector of the Center’s Advanced Fellowship on Learning Health Systems, and Adjunct Physician Policy Researcher at the RAND Corporation. Engel’s work focuses on trauma-informed health systems and strategies for improving the quality of primary care for chronic mental and physical health conditions. His research has covered traumatic injury and post-trauma syndromes ranging from blast injury, mild traumatic brain injury and Gulf War syndrome to PTSD and depression. Engel is experienced at mixed qualitative and quantitative methods and has led large pragmatic randomized trials, program evaluations, and implementation science studies. He has authored or coauthored nearly 200 scholarly papers, including in the New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, and the American Journal of Psychiatry. Funding for his work has come from the National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control, Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Defense and other organizations. Before joining UW Psychiatry and the AIMS Center in 2021, Dr. Engel was Senior Physician Policy Researcher at the RAND Corporation from 2013 to 2020 and Associate Chair (Research) at Uniformed Services University’s Department of Psychiatry from 2001-2013. Engel has served on the board of directors of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, has testified twice before Congress, received a number of awards, and delivered invited lectures in over 10 countries. He received both his MD and MPH from the University of Washington.

Mary Hatch

Dr. Hatch is an Associate Professor at the Addictions, Drug & Alcohol Institute (ADAI), Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, UW School of Medicine. Her research interests are in the development and testing of behavioral and pharmacologic interventions for substance use disorders and HIV prevention. In particular, her work has focused on the intersection of substance use and HIV-related sex and drug risk behaviors from both the consumer and workforce perspectives, and on implementation factors that affect uptake of interventions. She has held multiple and varied roles in research projects since 1994, and has long-standing experience developing, implementing, and overseeing large-scale multi-site clinical trials with community treatment providers. In addition to her work at the University of Washington, Dr. Hatch is a licensed clinical psychologist at UWMC Outpatient Psychiatry Clinic. Her clinical work specializes in the treatment of drug and alcohol addictions and co-occurring depression, anxiety and trauma.

Wade Reiner

I have always been interested in the thoughts and feelings that drive us. This led me to major in Psychological and Brain Sciences at Johns Hopkins University and to later enroll in the psychiatry residency training program at Washington University in St. Louis. Since completing training, I have had an excellent experience working at UW/Harborview’s emergency and inpatient psychiatry services. My teaching interests include the psychiatric interview, documentation, and fundamentals of clinical decision-making. Clinically, I enjoy taking a holistic approach to care, utilizing interventions across behavioral changes, pharmacology, and psychotherapy.

Merrill Berger

I am a seasoned clinical psychologist who has worked with children and adults in a wide variety of settings.  Currently, I provide evidenced based psychotherapies in the Adult Outpatient Psychiatry Clinic at the University of Washington Medical Center.  This includes Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) Cognitive Processing Therapy for trauma, Trauma informed care, CBT for anxiety and depression, and  CBT for Adult ADHD.

I am particularly interested in providing care to health care professionals who have met many challenges over the last few years.   I also provide treatment to adults experiencing psychosis and bipolar disorder.