Aaron Lyon, PhD

Personal Statement

My research focuses on increasing the accessibility, efficiency, and effectiveness of community- and school-based interventions for children, adolescents, and families. I am particularly interested in (1) the identification and implementation of low-cost, high-yield practices – such as the use of measurement-based care – to reduce the gap between typical and optimal practice in schools; (2) development of individual- and organization-level implementation strategies to promote adoption and sustainment of evidence-based psychosocial interventions within a multi-tier systems of support (MTSS) framework; and (3) human-centered design (and redesign) of psychosocial and digital technologies to improve their implementability, accessibility, and effectiveness. I am the founder and Director of the School Mental Health Assessment, Research, and Training (SMART) Center, dually housed in UW’s School of Medicine and College of Education.

Education

PhD: Clinical Psychology, DePaul University, Chicago
Residency: Clinical Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle
Fellowship: Mental Health Services, University of Washington, Seattle

Department Affiliations

Training Programs

Research Institute for Implementation Science in Education (RIISE)

Recent Publications

Twenty Years in the Making: Government, University, and Community Partnership to Advance School Mental Health.
(2026 Sep 17)
Prev Sci
Whitaker K, Liu FF, Buntain-Ricklefs JJ, Frye M, Ludwig K, Redondo S, Stone S, MacDougall E, Rigel S, Lyon AR, McCauley E

From Creative Engagement to Illustrative Insights: Exploring the Role of Design Probes for Implementation Research.
(2026 Jan-Dec)
Implement Res Pract 7(): 26334895261467984
Hoopes AJ, Matson A, Cramer ER, Meza RD, Klasnja P, Dorsey S, Weiner BJ, Lyon AR, Palazzo L, Martinez RG

Rigorous projects and grants integrating human-centered design and implementation science: 8 tips for success.
(2026 Jul 11)
Implement Sci Commun
Aung T, Osterhage KP, Graham AK, Proctor EK, Lyon AR, Munson SA

Exploring Fidelity Elements of a Motivational Interviewing-Based Implementation Strategy to Improve Adoption of Evidence-Based Practices in Schools.
(2026)
J Educ Psychol Consult 36(1): 154-179
Hugh ML, Cueto APM, Bruzios KE, Corbin CM, Gaias LM, Landa Y, Joshi M, Reyes R, Goosey R, Pullmann M, Cook CR, Larson M, Barrett R, Lyon AR

Human-centered design of a digital coping intervention for children experiencing post-separation interparental conflict.
(2026 Mar)
Ment Health Prev 41():
Yang MY, Parker SM, O'Hara KL, Sullivan CE, Lyon AR

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