I admit doctoral students into my lab through the GMU Clinical Psychology doctoral program. Applications to this program are due in December, with follow-up invitations to interview in February. Acceptance decisions occur between February and April. While I am also a faculty member in the Women & Gender Studies Program at Mason, this program does not accept doctoral students. I am planning to admit a clinical psychology doctoral student to begin Fall 2025.
What types of applicants am I looking for?
In clinical psychology doctoral programs, advisor match is a really critical component. Your advisor will help guide you through the (long!) doctoral journey, during which all matters of life will likely arise (life “lifes,” as they say). It is important to look for an advisor who will not only help you develop your research skills, but will also help you develop as a professional.
In selecting a doctoral student, I am looking for a person who is dedicated to engaging in work – research and clinical – that serves the public good. As a first-generation college student, I view the advanced training and opportunities afforded by obtaining a PhD in clinical psychology to be an immense privilege and a call to action, and I am looking for students who share that desire to use this degree for good, beyond personal gain.
In my lab, we often rely on multiple research methods (e.g., longitudinal, daily diary, qualitative) and often employ advanced statistical modeling to address our research questions. I do not necessarily expect applicants to come in with advanced knowledge of these topics. However, I do expect that students have a true desire to develop in these areas. I provide extensive hands-on training in data analysis, manuscript development, and publication.
Of course, research fit for applicants to my lab is also important, which I detail below!
What research foci are good fits for applicants to my lab?
Applicants are a good fit for my lab if they have a genuine interest in adaptation to chronic illness and/or injury. Most of my doctoral advisees have rehabilitation psychology or clinical health psychology interests and want to engage in research and clinical work in these domains. In general, I am not looking for students to fully replicate my personal interests. I am much more focused on helping students develop their niches within the broader rehabilitation and health psychology spheres. Nonetheless, I have found that the mentor match works best if there is significant overlap in the constructs and populations that we are interested in. To that end, applicants who have interest in research on chronic pain, traumatic brain injury, HIV, aging, and spinal cord injury are closest fits for me (but this list is not exhaustive!). Broadly, applicants who are interested in health disparities research, with particular emphases on race and disability, are good fits.
Applicants who have little interest in research or developing their independent research skills are not a good fit for our clinical program. The GMU clinical program operates under a clinical science model, meaning that we strongly emphasize both clinical training and research training. Applicants who only want to work with pediatric populations may not be a good fit for my lab, as we typically work with adult (and often older adult) populations.
Still interested? Great! What should you do next?
To make sure that you are interested in the work from my lab, I recommend reviewing some of my more recent publications on my Google Scholar profile. These recent papers reflect the work that my students and I are currently doing, along with some additional consulting and collaborative work that I engage in. If you decide to apply to my lab, you should name me as the first or second potential advisor in your cover letter/personal statement when you submit your application to our program. If you do not name me on your application, it will not get routed to me for review. If you have specific questions beyond those that were answered here, don’t hesitate to reach out to me directly. Thanks, and I look forward to learning more about you through your application!