Two members of the Yale Department of Psychiatry faculty, both affiliated with the department's Psychology Section, have been elected to serve as president-elect, and ultimately president, of their respective American Psychological Association (APA) divisions.
Joan Cook, PhD – APA Division of Trauma Psychology (Division 56)
Joan Cook, PhD, an associate professor of psychiatry, was recently elected president-elect of the APA's Division of Trauma Psychology. Her term as president-elect begins in January 2015, and her term as president of the division begins in January 2016.
Cook's clinical and research interests focus on traumatic stress, geriatric mental health, and the dissemination and implementation of effective mental health services in the community.
She is currently the principal investigator of a National Institute of Mental Health grant examining the sustained use of two evidence-based psychotherapies, Prolonged Exposure and Cognitive Processing Therapy, nationally in the Department of Veterans Affairs residential Post-traumatic Stress Disorder treatment programs.
The APA Division of Trauma Psychology provides a forum for scientific research, professional and public education, and the exchange of collegial support for professional activities related to traumatic stress.
Sherry McKee, PhD – APA Society of Addiction Psychology (Division 50)
Sherry McKee, PhD, an associate professor of psychiatry, has been elected president-elect of the APA's Society of Addiction Psychology. McKee will begin her term as the division's president-elect in August 2014 and will assume the role of division president in August 2015.
McKee’s research is focused on improving treatment for those with nicotine and alcohol use disorders. Using a transdisciplinary perspective, she utilizes various methodologies including human laboratory paradigms, survey research, and epidemiological research to uncover the mechanisms underlying poor outcomes and translate these findings into improved interventions.
She is principal investigator of the NIH-funded Yale Translational P50 Center to Develop Gender-Sensitive Treatment for Tobacco Dependence and director of the Yale Behavioral Pharmacology Laboratory and the Forensic Drug Diversion (ForDD) Addiction Clinic.
The APA Society of Addiction Psychology promotes advances in research, professional training, and clinical practice within the broad range of addictive behaviors including problematic use of alcohol, nicotine and other drugs and disorders involving gambling, eating, sexual behavior or spending.