Zachary W. Adams, PhD

Bio

I am an Assistant Professor and licensed health service provider in psychology in the IU Department of Psychiatry. My clinical and research interests center on improving care and promoting healthy outcomes for young people with co-occurring mental health and substance use problems, with a particular emphasis on youth and families impacted by trauma and adversity. Additionally, I am strongly committed to teaching students, interns, residents, fellows and involving trainees in all aspects of our team’s work.

Titles & Appointments

Assistant Professor of Psychiatry
Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology

Education

2012 PhD University of Kentucky

2008 MS University of Kentucky

2006 BA DePauw University
Research

Much of my research falls into two broad categories. The first set of projects focus on refining our understanding of how co-occurring mental health problems develop in childhood and adolescence, particularly among youth exposed to violence, disasters, and other traumatic and adverse events. We accomplish this through a variety of methods ranging from laboratory-based studies investigating neurocognitive and psychosocial mechanisms associated with mental health and substance use problems to large-scale epidemiological surveys characterizing the how common certain experiences are and what factors are associated with them. The second set of projects involves developing and testing new intervention models (such as therapies that target multiple problems in an integrative fashion) and technology-based tools (mobile applications, web-based platforms) to make mental health treatments more efficient, accessible, and effective for youth and families. These projects have been funded through several internal and external sources, including grants awarded to my collaborators and me by NIDA, NIMH, SAMHSA, and NHLBI. I am currently supported through an NIH/NIDA Career Development Award (5K23DA038257; M-Health Tools to Enhance Treatment of Teen Substance Use and Mental Illness).

Lab site: https://medicine.iu.edu/research/faculty-labs/adams/
Professional Organizations

American Psychological Association

Association for Psychological Science

International Society for Research in Child & Adolescent Psychopathology

National Child Traumatic Stress Network

Society for Research in Psychopathology
Clinical Interests

Evidence-based psychotherapy for child and adolescent mental health problems; Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT); adolescent substance use treatment; integrated treatments for co-occurring psychiatric and substance use disorders

Dr. Adams is a TF-CBT Certified therapist
Awards

Org: Association for Psychological Science
Desc: 2018 Rising Star
Scope: National
Date: 2018-01-01

Org: NIH Mobile Health Training Institute
Desc: mHealth Scholar
Scope: National
Date: 2016-08-01

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