Deborah Friedman, PhD
Co-Principle Investigator
Dr. Friedman is a clinical psychologist and researcher in the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Department of Psychiatry and Assistant Professor of Psychology (Psychiatry) at Harvard Medical School. She serves as the consulting psychologist for the MGH Pediatric and Adult Cystic Fibrosis Programs, and co-director of the MGH Pediatric Behavioral Medicine Program. Her clinical research focuses on developing telehealth and digital health interventions that can be integrated into interdisciplinary team-based care to improve mental health and quality of life for people with CF. Dr. Friedman is the author of the CF-CBT program for adults with CF and CF-CBT-A for adolescents with CF and their caregivers. These mental health interventions were developed and trialed in partnership with this incredible team and with stakeholder input from people with CF, caregivers, and CF healthcare providers.
Anna Georgiopoulos, MD
Co-Principle Investigator
Dr. Georgiopoulos is Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Part-time, at Harvard Medical School. A child & adolescent, adult and consultation-liaison psychiatrist, she has been integrated in the Massachusetts General Hospital Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Center since 2005. Dr. Georgiopoulos is inaugural Chair of the CF Foundation Prioritizing Research in Mental Health Working Group (PRIME), chairs the Education & Training subgroup of the CF Foundation Mental Health Advisory Committee, and is a member of the CF Foundation Sexual Health, Reproduction, and Gender Research Working Group (SHARING). She serves as US liaison to the European CF Society Mental Health in the Era of CF Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR) Modulators Working Group. Her clinical research focus is to investigate the psychiatric complications of CF and its treatments, and to develop systems of care to improve the physical and emotional wellness of people with CF throughout the lifespan, through cross-disciplinary, international collaborations. Dr. Georgiopoulos leads studies in CF mental health and palliative care, including as co-Principal Investigator for CF-CBT.
Ruobin Wei, MPH
Clinical Research Coordinator
Ruobin has worked on multiple studies for the CF Mental Health team.
Nivedita Chaudhary, BDS, MPH
Project Manager
Nivedita is the Project Manager for the MGH Cystic Fibrosis Mental Health Team. She is the lead biostatistical data, project and grants manager for investigator-initiated single- and multi-center cystic fibrosis mental health and palliative care clinical studies.
Tara Mullen, BA
Clinical Research Coordinator
Tara has worked on multiple studies for the CF Mental Health team and designed the CF-CBT logo and website.
CF-CBT Implementation Team
Meg Dvorak, LCSW
Expert Consultant
Meg is a social worker at the Stanford Health Care Adult CF program since 2010. Meg joined the CF-CBT study team in 2018 for the initial pilot study as an interventionist and is now involved as an “expert consultant” in the implementation study. Meg has a private practice working with teens and adults facing a variety of health and mental health challenges. Meg is actively involved in the national CF community, facilitating monthly virtual support groups for adults and caregivers, giving talks and moderating workshops for different CF groups.
Beth Smith, MD
Expert Consultant
Beth is a Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, Interim Chair at the Department of Psychiatry, and Chief of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. Beth is also the lead of the screening workgroup on the International Committee on Mental Health in CF, co-author of the CFF/ECFS Consensus Statements for Depression and Anxiety, and Chair of the CFF Mental Health Advisory Committee. Beth has conducted research in depression and adherence in individuals with CF and their caregivers, interventions for depression and anxiety in CF, implementation of the mental health in CF guidelines.
Amanda Bruce, PhD
Expert Consultant
Amanda has been a clinical psychologist with the Adult CF team at the University of Kansas Medical Center since 2016. Amanda is a Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Kansas Medical Center and the principal investigator for KUMC’s Success with therapies research consortium (STRC) through CF Foundation. She has conducted research in health decision-making, diet and exercise choices, treatment adherence, and examination of psychological interventions for persons living with CF. Amanda is a co-investigator and interventionist on the CF-CBT project. In her free time, she enjoys doing yoga and gluten-free baking.