E-mail: jmagidson@psyc.umd.edu Curriculum Vitae
Office ph:(301)405-8441 2103R Cole Field House
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Jessica Magidson E-mail: jmagidson@psyc.umd.edu Curriculum Vitae Office ph:(301)405-8441 2103R Cole Field House |
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Background Information
I am a 3rd year Clinical Psychology Ph.D. student working with Dr. Carl Lejuez in CAPER and Dr. Daughters in the School of Public Health. I graduated from Dartmouth College in 2006, with a B.A. in Psychology, and minors in Spanish and Women & Gender Studies. As an undergraduate, I worked with Dr. Mark Hegel on a study examining the effectiveness of a brief problem-solving treatment for minor depression in primary care. I examined levels of behavioral activation, coping style, and social problem solving skills as predictors of treatment outcome. Outside of Dartmouth, I worked with Dr. Bruce Rapkin at the Behavioral Health Division of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) in NYC on a longitudinal study to evaluate York's HIV Special Needs Plan (HIV SNP), a Medicaid managed care model for people living with HIV/AIDS. We examined health care utilization, quality of life, physical/emotional health outcomes, and medication adherence over a 5-year period. I conducted clinical interviews and research assessments in English and Spanish and led a project examining the role of children on HIV positive mothers' medication adherence and help-seeking behaviors.
Research Interests
My graduate research interests are a blend of my past undergraduate experiences. My current research focuses on the development and evaluation of a brief, uncomplicated behavioral activation treatment for depressed substance users (Let's Act). Specifically, I am examining the effect of the Let's Act treatment on reducing depression, substance use treatment dropout, and relapse, as well as examining how changes in behavioral activation may mediate treatment outcomes. In addition, I also have worked with Dr. Daughters in developing and evaluating a behavioral activation treatment for depressed, HIV positive substance users (Act Healthy). I am currently a therapist on the R01 investigation further testing the effect of Act Healthy on HIV medication adherence, depressive symptoms, and substance use outcomes. In future research, I hope to translate our current treatment manuals into Spanish in order to expand this work to the Latino community. .Personal Interests
I love the outdoors, hiking and playing tennis, exploring DC, and traveling in Latin America!