 Elizabeth Brackis-Cott, Ph.D., Assistant Clinical Professor
of Medical Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at
Columbia University, is a clinical and research psychologist
at the HIV Center. In addition she has a private practice
focusing on the treatment of psychological sequella to acute
and chronic illness.
Dr. Brackis-Cott's current research interests include
working with children and adolescents perinatally infected
with HIV/AIDS and their families. She is a Co-Investigator
on two NIMH-funded studies. Project CASAH (Child and Adolescent
Self-Awareness and Health; Principal Investigator: Claude
Ann Mellins, Ph.D.) is a longitudinal study with the goals
of 1) determining the prevalence of Psychiatric Disorders
and Behavioral Health Outcomes, including emotional and
behavioral functioning, sexual behavior, substance use,
and adherence to antiretroviral treatment in perinatally
HIV-infected adolescents; 2) examining the association between
HIV illness and psychiatric disorders and behavioral health
outcomes by comparing perinatally HIV-infected youth to
uninfected youth exposed to HIV in utero (seroreverters);
and 3) identifying risk and protective factors related to
Behavioral Health Outcomes in both groups prospectively
over 18 months. Dr. Brackis-Cott is also a Co-investigator
on a clinical trial testing the feasibility and acceptability
of a family-based intervention for pre- and early adolescents
perinatally HIV-infected youth and their adult caregivers
(CHAMP+; Principal Investigator: Mary McKay, Ph.D.).
EDUCATION
| Union College, Schenectady,
NY |
B.S. |
1993 |
Psychology |
| Yeshiva University, Bronx,
NY |
M.A. |
1996 |
Clinical Health Psychology
|
| Yeshiva University, Bronx,
NY |
Ph.D. |
1998 |
Clinical Health Psychology
|
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
| 1992 |
Research Assistant,
Department of Psychiatry, New York Medical
College, Valhalla, NY |
| 1992 |
Volunteer,
Department of Recreational Therapy, New
York Medical College, Valhalla, NY |
| 1992 |
Research Assistant,
Department of Psychology, Union College,
Schenectady, NY |
| 1994-1995 |
Psychology
Extern, Department of Pediatrics, Adolescent
AIDS Program, Montefiore Medical Center,
Bronx, NY |
| 1995 |
Teaching Assistant,
Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Bronx,
NY |
| 1995 |
Research Assistant,
Department of Epidemiology and Social Medicine,
Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx,
NY |
| 1995-1996 |
Therapist,
Behavioral Medicine and Anxiety Disorders
Clinic, Yeshiva University, Bronx, NY |
| 1995-1997 |
Predoctoral
Psychiatry Service Research Fellow, Department
of Psychiatry, Memorial Hospital Sloan-Kettering
Cancer Center, New York, NY |
| 1996 |
Psychology
Extern, Peekskill Mental Health Clinic,
Peekskill, NY |
| 1996 |
Psychology
Extern, Department of Forensics, Bellevue
Hospital Medical Center, New York, NY |
| 1997 |
HIV Summer
Intern, North Central Bronx Hospital, Bronx,
NY |
| 1997-1998 |
Psychology
Intern, Hall-Brooke Hospital, Westport,
CT |
| 1998-present
|
Therapist,
Special Needs Clinic for Children and Families
Affected by HIV, New York Presbyterian Hospital,
New York, NY |
| 1998-1999 |
Postdoctoral
Research Fellow, HIV Center for Clinical
and Behavioral Studies, Columbia University,
College of Physicians and Surgeons, New
York, NY |
| 1999-present
|
Assistant
Professor of Medical Psychology, Department
of Psychiatry, Columbia University, College
of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY |
| 2000-present |
Clinical Health
Psychologist, Special Needs Clinic, Columbia
Presbyterian Medical Center, New York, NY |
| 2001-2002 |
Co-facilitator of Hepatitis C Support
Group, Mount Sinai Hospital, New York,
NY |
| 2001-2002 |
Private
Practice, New York, NY |
| 2002-present |
Adjunct
Professor, Department of Applied
Psychology, New York University, New
York, NY |
| 2005-present |
Private
Practice, Irvington, NY |
HONORS AND AWARDS
| 1993 |
Psi Chi Service
Award, Union College |
| 1997 |
Catherine
Low Memorial Award, Memorial Sloan-Kettering
Cancer Center |
| 1997 |
HIV Intern,
HIV Professional Development Project, The
New York Academy of Medicine |
| 1998 |
Associate
Fellow, The New York Academy of Medicine |
PUBLICATIONS
Melamed, B.G., Brackis, E.J., Faccenda, K.:
Revisiting social support and chronic illness: A
dyadic approach. Mind Body/Medicine, 2:1-5,
1997.
Mellins, C.A., Brackis-Cott, E., Dolezal, C.,
Richards, A., Abrams, E.: Patterns of HIV status
disclosure to perinatally infected HIV- positive
children and subsequent mental health outcomes.
Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry,
7:101-114, 2002.
Brackis-Cott, E., Mellins, C.A., Block, M.:
Current life concerns of early adolescents and
their mothers: Influence of maternal HIV.
Journal of Early Adolescence, 23: 51-77, 2003.
Brackis-Cott, E.J., Mellins, C.A., Reval, T.,
Abrams, E.J., Dolezal, C.: Pediatric HIV
medication adherence: The view of medical
providers from two primary care programs.
Journal of Pediatric Health Care, 17:252-260,
2003.
Dolezal, C., Mellins, C., Brackis-Cott, E.,
Abrams, E.: The reliability reports of medical
adherence from HIV+ children and their adult
caregivers. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 28:
355-361, 2003.
Mellins, C.A., Brackis-Cott, E., Dolezal, C., &
Abrams, E.: Adherence to antiretroviral
treatment in HIV-infected children: The critical
role of psychosocial and family factors. The
Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal. 23,
1035-1041, 2004.
O'Sullivan, L.F., Dolezal, C., Brackis-Cott, E.,
Traeger, L., & Mellins, C.A.: Communication
about HIV and risk behaviors in a sample of
HIV-positive and HIV-negative mothers and their
early adolescent children. Journal of Early
Adolescence, 25, 148-167, 2005.
Mellins, C.A., Brackis-Cott, E., Dolezal, C., &
Meyer-Bahlburg, H.: Behavioral risk in early
adolescents with HIV+ mothers. Journal of
Adolescent Health, 364, 342-351, 2005.
McKay, M., Block, M., Mellins, C., Traube, D.,
Brackis-Cott, E., Minott, D., Miranda, C.,
Petterson, J., & Abrams, E.J. Adapting a
Family-based HIV Prevention Program for
HIV-Infected Preadolescents and their Families:
Youth, Families and Health Care Providers Coming
Together to Address Complex Needs. Community
Collaborative Partnerships. The Foundation for
HIV Prevention Research Efforts. McKay M &
Paikoff RL Eds. 2006.
Lewis, L.J., Mellins, C.A. & Brackis-Cott, E.:
(in press) Developmental, ethnic and social
influences on early adolescent heterosexual
engagement in sexual possibility situations.
Journal of Early Adolescence.
Mellins, C.A., Brackis-Cott, E., Dolezal, C. &
Abrams, E.J.: (in press) Psychiatric disorders
in HIV-infected youth. Pediatric Infectious
Disease Journal.
Nicholson, O., Mellins, C., Dolezal, C.,
Brackis-Cott, E., & Abrams, E.: (in press). HIV
treatment-related knowledge and self-efficacy
among caregivers of HIV-infected children.
Patient Education and Counseling
Brackis-Cott, E., Kang, E., Dolezal, C., Abrams,
J., & Mellins, C.A.: (submitted) Brief report:
Intellectual and school functioning of youth
perinatally infected with HIV.
Mellins, C.A., Dolezal, C., Brackis-Cott, E.,
Nicholson, O., & Meyer-Bahlburg, H.: (submitted)
Predicting the onset of sexual and drug risk
behavior in HIV-negative youth with HIV-positive
mothers: The Role of family and psychosocial
factors.
Brackis-Cott, E., Mellins, C.A., Dolezal, C. &
Spiegel, D. (2007). The mental health risk of
mothers and children affected by HIV. Journal
of Early Adolescence, 27(1), 67-89. |
