Mission Statement

The Intervention Sciences Laboratory (ISL) is dedicated to enhancing our understanding of the development and maintenance of anxiety and substance use problems in order to improve interventions targeting these common and costly problems. We continuously seek to accomplish this mission by maintaining an active research program in the area, teaching others about the science in this domain, and providing service in social and clinical settings that utilizes this science to improve the lives of people affected by these problems.

Teaching Philosophy

One of the primary aims of the ISL is to provide a fertile context for training developing Clinical Psychologists. Several experiences are included throughout the course of each academic year that are designed to go above-and-beyond the opportunities available in typical graduate training programs. These experiences fall into several domains of professional development, including systematic exposure to state-of-the-art experimental psychopathology methodologies, research dissemination, teaching/mentoring, and the application of research in clinical settings. As one illustrative example, graduate students are encouraged to develop mentoring relationships with individual undergraduate research assistants as well as graduate students at more junior levels. These relationships vary, depending on the approach of the individual graduate student, from structured didactic training programs focused on empirical research in anxiety disorders to informal mentoring relationships designed to help prepare supervisees for the next step in their professional career. This “vertical team” model gives graduate students an opportunity to develop mentoring styles and approaches, while still receiving the support of a mentor. We believe these types of experiences are critical in preparing developing professionals for the multitude of facets involved in being a Clinical Psychologist, whether in an academic, research, or clinical setting.

Research Assistant Application

In addition to focusing on developing as rich of a training experience for graduate students as possible, the ISL strives to prepare focused, outstanding undergraduate students for further involvement in the mental health field. Both Dr. Feldner and graduate students working with him regularly meet with undergraduate students to identify strengths and weaknesses pertinent to clinical psychology. Relative weaknesses are then targeted as areas for further development and existing strengths are built upon. In addition to this general approach to mentoring, undergraduate students are exposed to contemporary theory and research in the area of anxiety disorders and substance use. Outstanding students interested in pursuing a career in psychology also are mentored through the transition from being an undergraduate student to the next step in their careers, which may involve becoming a graduate student in a psychology program, obtaining additional research experience, or providing services in the area of mental health.