APA Distinguished Scientist Lecturers to speak at regional psychological association meetings this spring

Each year, the APA Board of Scientific Affairs (BSA) sponsors the Distinguished Scientist Lecture program. The program provides funds to psychological scientists, who are talented speakers, to present their research at regional psychological association meetings across the United States. Speakers may have expertise in any area of psychological science.

This year’s Distinguished Scientist Lecturers will be speaking at the Eastern Psychological Association, Midwestern Psychological Association, and Rocky Mountain Psychological Association annual meetings. The 2022 Distinguished Scientist Lecturers are as follows (in alphabetical order):

Margarita Alegria, PhD

Eastern Psychological Association
March 3–5, 2022 in New York, New York

Lecture date/time: Friday, March 4 at 5 p.m. ET

Lecture title: Co-Designing Psychological Services with the Community: Amplifying the Client’s Voice in Care

Abstract: In clinical practice, clients may not feel entitled to express their goals, questions or expectations in the interaction with authoritative providers. There are several strategies that providers can adopt to empower clients in the clinical encounter and level the playing field. Dr. Alegria will share findings from her projects focused on improving shared decision making and quality of care for racial/ethnic minority patients. She will also provide key insights and recommendations for centering the voice of minority clients in the clinical setting. Future directions for research on shared decision making will also be explored.

Gordon Nagayama Hall, PhD

Midwestern Psychological Association
April 21–23, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois

Lecture date/time: Thursday, April 21 at 3 p.m. CT

Lecture title: Why Do Mental Health Disparities Persist? The Personal Relevance of Psychotherapy

Abstract: One of the most persistent health disparities is the underutilization of mental health services by people of color. The advent of evidence-based treatments (EBTs) has not impacted these utilization disparities. Culturally-adapted treatments (CATs) have similarly failed to impact these disparities. EBTs may be limited by their assumption that single approaches are universally applicable. CATs may also be limited by their overly broad application to all individuals within cultural groups. However, clients may want treatments that address their individual needs. For many clients of color, neither EBTs nor CATs address their individual needs. I propose the Personal Relevance of Psychotherapy model that incorporates social neuroscience to determine the personal relevance of a treatment. Identifying personally-relevant interventions has the potential to reduce mental health disparities by increasing engagement with mental health services for diverse groups.

Karestan C. Koenen, PhD

Rocky Mountain Psychological Association
April 7–9, 2022 in Salt Lake City, Utah

Lecture date/time: Saturday, April 9 at 3:20 p.m. MT

Lecture title: Trauma, the COVID-19 Pandemic, and Women’s Health


Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic is a global traumatic event. This workshop will focus on what we have learned about trauma and its consequences—both mental and physical—from the past three decades of epidemiologic research with a particular focus on women. The discussion will include addressing actions at the individual and population level that can be taken to prevent trauma and its adverse consequences in response to the pandemic and beyond.