NEW DIVISION 54 FELLOWS
New Division 54 Fellows
Robyn Mehlenbeck, Ph.D.
Robyn Mehlenbeck, Ph.D., is a Clinical Child and Adolescent board-certified psychologist who specializes in working with children with medical conditions, utilizing a family systems approach. Currently, she is a clinical professor at George Mason University and the Director of the GMU Center for Psychological Services, a clinic committed to training graduate students and providing services for the community. She also consults at Pediatric Specialists of Virgina, an outpatient specialty clinic associated with Inova Health and Children’s National D.C. Her research is in the area of pediatric obesity. She is the current president for the Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. Dr. Mehlenbeck has numerous publications and has presented nationally and internationally in the areas of working with children and adolescents with medical issues, pediatric obesity and interdisciplinary training.
Britt Neilsen, Psy.D., ABPP
Britt A. Nielsen, Psy.D., ABPP, is a board-certified Child and Adolescent Psychologist at MetroHealth Medical Center and Associate Professor of Psychology & Psychiatry at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine. Dr. Nielsen is the founding Training Director for the MetroHealth Psychology Residency Program. She serves on the Editorial Boards for the Journal of Clinical Practice in Pediatric Psychology and Journal of Pediatric Psychology. She has dedicated her career to training psychologists and other professionals in integrated care settings and work to address issues of the behavioral health workforce and secured federal funding to support interprofessional training programs in integrated primary care behavioral health.
Mariella M. Self, Ph.D., ABPP
Mariella M. Self, Ph.D., ABPP, is an associate professor of Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine and a pediatric psychologist at Texas Children’s Hospital, where she provides inpatient consultation and outpatient intervention services for children and families managing a variety of medical conditions. In addition to her clinical role, Dr. Self currently serves as Training Director of the Pediatric/Clinical Child Psychology Fellowship Program at Baylor College of Medicine and as a collaborator for NIH-funded research pertaining to pediatric functional gastrointestinal disorders.
Laura A. Shaffer, Ph.D.
Laura A. Shaffer, Ph.D., has spent the better part of her career establishing and growing integrated pediatric psychology services, informing clinical practice and training in the areas of pediatric obesity and integrated primary care, and promoting psychology and interprofessionalism in academic medicine. She is the section chief of Pediatric Psychology and an associate professor of Pediatrics at the University of Virginia School of Medicine. Her work as a pediatric psychologist in academic health centers has involved clinical service and program development, teaching, training administration, research, and advocacy. Dr. Shaffer is the president elect of the Association of Psychologists in Academic Health Centers and has been active nationally with interprofessional efforts through the Children’s Hospitals Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, Society of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, and the Association of American Medical Colleges’ Council of Faculty and Academic Societies.
Erica Sood, Ph.D.
Erica Sood, Ph.D., is a pediatric psychologist at Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children and Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Thomas Jefferson University. Her research focuses on partnering with parent and clinician stakeholders to develop family-based psychosocial interventions for congenital heart disease. She directs the Nemours Cardiac Learning and Early Development (LEAD) Program and trains psychology fellows in the specialty area of cardiac neurodevelopment. Dr. Sood is Secretary for the Society of Pediatric Psychology and Co-Chair of the Cardiac Neurodevelopmental Outcome Collaborative.
Kathy Zebracki, Ph.D.
Kathy Zebracki, Ph.D., is chief of Psychology at Shriners Hospitals for Children, Chicago, and an adjunct associate professor at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Dr. Zebracki is an active clinician, researcher, and educator. Her primary clinical interests are in the care of children and adolescents with physical disabilities and chronic health conditions. Her research focus is in the area of psychosocial and medical outcomes of youth with spinal cord dysfunctions, including spinal cord injury and spina bifida. She also serves as a clinical and research mentor for clinical psychology doctoral students and postdoctoral fellows. Dr. Zebracki is the editor-in-chief of Topics in Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation and an associate editor of Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology. She is on the Board of Directors of the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) and the Steel Assembly for Pediatric Spinal Cord Injury and Dysfunction. She has authored over 60 peer-reviewed journal articles, 14 book chapters, and 150 presentations at national and international meetings. Dr. Zebracki is a co-editor of the textbook, Spinal Cord Injury in the Child and Young Adult.