Professor, Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Dr. Piacentini’s research focuses on the development, evaluation, and dissemination of empirically supported assessments and treatments for child mental disorders. He has led NIMH-funded treatment studies examining the efficacy of individual and family-focused CBT and/or pharmacotherapy for pediatric anxiety, OCD, Tourette’s disorder, and adolescent suicidality. His research program also employs translational methods, including neuroimaging and EEG, to investigate biological determinants and treatment mechanisms, for someof these disorders. Therapy manuals, which he has co-written based on his research, form the basis for the therapy component in the Child OCD, Anxiety and Tic Disorders clinic rotation. UCLA CARES (carescenter@ucla.edu) seeks to enhance public awarenessof child anxiety and promote evidence-based best-practice prevention and intervention methods to parents, teachers, and the broader public.