Faculty and Staff

Director

Edna B. Foa, Ph.D. is a Professor of Clinical Psychology in Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania, where she serves as the Director of the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety. She is an internationally renowned authority on the psychopathology and treatment of anxiety.

Her research, aimed at determining causes and treatments of anxiety disorders, has been highly influential. Foa has been an expert in the areas of post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The program she has developed for rape victims is considered to be one of the most effective therapies for PTSD. She has published several books and over 200 articles and book chapters, has lectured extensively around the world. She has received numerous awards and distinctions, including The Distinguished Scientist Award from the American Psychological Association, and the TIME 100 Most Influential People for 2010. More about Dr. Edna Foa...

Psychotherapist

Sandy Capaldi, Psy.D. is a psychotherapist at the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety, specializing in child as well as adult treatment of anxiety disorders, including OCD and PTSD. Dr. Capaldi earned her undergraduate degree in Psychology at Temple University in 2000, her Master of Arts degree in Clinical Health Psychology from MCP Hahnemann University in 2002, and her Master of Science degree in Clinical Psychology from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. She is a recent graduate of the Psy.D. program at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Assistant Professor

Seth J. Gillihan, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology in Psychiatry at the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Gillihan received his bachelors degree from Indiana University followed by a masters degree in Community Counseling from The George Washington University. He received his M.A. and Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. He completed a clinical internship at the Ancora Psychiatric Hospital in Ancora, New Jersey in 2008. He is a licensed psychologist specializing in anxiety disorders in adults.

Post-Doctoral Fellow

Nuwan Jayawickreme, Ph.D.,is a post-doctoral fellow at the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. He received his B.A. in Psychology and English from Gettysburg College in 2004, and his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology in 2010 from the University of Pennsylvania, where he worked under the mentorship of Edna B. Foa, Ph.D. Dr. Jayawickreme recently completed his pre-doctoral clinical internship at Montefiore Hospital in New York City. His research interests include post-traumatic stress disorder, cultural variations in the experience and expression of psychopathology and dissemination of empirically-supported treatments. He has received grants from the American Psychological Association and the Asia Foundation for his research. Dr. Jayawickreme specializes in treating anxiety and mood disorders.

Psychotherapist

Emily Malcoun, Ph.D. completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, IN and received a Master of Divinity degree from Harvard University. Her doctoral degree is in Clinical Developmental Psychology from Bryn Mawr College in Bryn Mawr, PA. Dr. Malcoun completed pre-doctoral training in evidence-based treatment of anxiety disorders at the CTSA and completed a clinical internship at the University of Pennsylvania Counseling and Psychological Services. She completed her post-doctoral fellowship at Emory University School of Medicine in the Department of Psychiatry's Trauma and Anxiety Recovery Program, where she focused on treatment and prevention of PTSD in minority populations. She is a licensed psychologist specializing in cognitive-behavioral treatment of anxiety disorders, including PTSD and OCD in adolescents and adults.

Assistant Professor

Carmen P. McLean, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology in Psychiatry at the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety. Dr. McLean received her Bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of British Columbia and her Master's and Doctoral degrees in clinical psychology from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. After completing her clinical internship at the University of Chicago Medical Center in 2008, Dr. McLean completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the National Center for PTSD at the Boston VA, where she conducted research on Web-based interventions for PTSD. Her current interests include gender effects in anxiety disorders, treatment augmentation, and novel treatment delivery methods.

Psychotherapist

Tracey K. Lichner, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist. She received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., and completed her internship at Pennsylvania State University's Center for Counseling and Psychological Services. Dr. Lichner joined the CTSA in 2006, after three years at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine participating in research investigating the genetics of obsessive-compulsive disorder. At CTSA, she is the Supervision Coordinator, managing projects with other mental health centers, in which therapists newly trained in prolonged exposure treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder are supervised on their treatment cases. Dr. Lichner developed and coordinated a bereavement program at Pennsylvania Hospital's Joan Karnell Cancer Center and has a continued interest in grief, particularly prolonged, complicated grief. Dr. Lichner's professional interests also include treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and social phobia.

Psychotherapist

Elizabeth A. Ellis Ohr, Psy.D. is a clinical psychotherapist at the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. She received her Psy.D. in clinical psychology from Immaculata University in 2009. Dr. Ellis Ohr joined the faculty while completing post doctoral training at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania Center for Treatment and Study of Anxiety. Her focus at the Center is on the treatment of all anxiety disorders.

Psychotherapist

Elizabeth Turk-Karan, Ph.D., has been a licensed psychologist since 1993. She received her bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania, and her M.S. and Ph.D. from Rutgers University. After several years in private practice, she returned to CTSA in order to be more involved in disseminating empirically-supported anxiety treatments. Dr. Turk-Karan has worked as an assessor and therapist on research studies of Panic Disorder, Social Phobia, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder at the University of Pennsylvania, the Medical College of Pennsylvania/EPPI, and the University of Pittsburgh.

Assistant Professor

Monnica T. Williams, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology in Psychiatry at the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety, where she specializes in the treatment of anxiety disorders, including OCD. Prior to joining the University of Pennsylvania faculty, Dr. Williams completed her undergraduate studies at MIT and UCLA. She received her Master's and Doctoral Degrees in clinical psychology from the University of Virginia, where she conducted research in the areas of major mental illness, psychological measurement, and ethnic differences. Dr. Williams completed her clinical internship at McGill University Health Centre, Montreal General Hospital. Her current interests include OCD subtypes, PTSD, and barriers to treatment. She holds an NIH Diversity Supplement Grant under Dr. Edna Foa. More about Dr. Monnica Williams...

Psychotherapist

Elna Yadin, Ph.D. is a clinically licensed psychologist since 1997, with main interests in anxiety disorders in adults, children, and adolescents. Dr. Yadin is the coordinator of the obsessive-compulsive disorder open treatment clinic.

Psychotherapist

David Yusko, Psy.D. is the Clinical Director and Psychotherapist at the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. He received his Psy.D. in clinical psychology from the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology at Rutgers University in 2006. Dr. Yusko joined the Center's faculty in 2006 after completing his doctoral internship at Montefiore Hospital in New York City. His training at Rutgers involved specialization in the treatment of substance abuse and the prevention of substance abuse among college students and college athletes. His focus at the Center is on the development of an effective treatment for co-occurring posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol dependence.