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Eli Lebowitz, PhD

Associate Professor, Child Study Center
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Additional Titles

Director Program for Anxiety Disorders, Child Study Center

About

Titles

Associate Professor, Child Study Center

Director Program for Anxiety Disorders, Child Study Center

Biography

Professor Lebowitz studies and treats childhood and adolescent anxiety and is Director of the Program for Anxiety Disorders at the Yale Child Study Center. His research focuses on the development, neurobiology, and treatment of anxiety and related disorders, with special emphasis on cross-generational and familial influences in these disorders. Dr. Lebowitz is the lead investigator on multiple funded research projects, and is the author of numerous research papers and of books and chapters on childhood and adolescent anxiety. He is also the father of three great boys.

Appointments

Other Departments & Organizations

Education & Training

Postdoctoral Associate
Yale University School of Medicine (2011)
PhD
Tel Aviv University, Clinical Psychology (2010)
Intern
Schneider Children's Medical Center (2008)
MA
Tel Aviv University (2004)

Research

Overview

My lab studies behavioral and neurobiological systems relevant to the etiology, course, and treatment of childhood anxiety disorders. We employ a range of methodolgies to identify and research key biomarkers in clinical populations. We focus on markers of childhood disorders and on biomarkers of relevant parental and maternal behaviors. Markers include neurobiological factors studied through brain imaging (fMRI) and blood and saliva based markers.

I developed SPACE, a parent-based treatment for childhood and adolescent anxiety and OCD and the lab conducts clinical research into the efficacy of SPACE as well working to disseminate the treatment to the lay and professional public.

We conduct funded explanatory clinical trials aimes at identifying effective treatments and the mechansims by which the work. We also investigate moderators of treatmet outcome or markers of patients most likel to benefit from particular treatmetns.

We employ technological innovation to address difficult to study questions that are not amenable to conventional diagnostic or assessment tools.

Students in the lab are engaged in all aspects of research including patient evaluation and care and ongoing research projects.

Investigation of mechansims and biomarkers of protective maternal behavior toward childhood fear and anxiety.

Explanatory clinical trial of a novel parent based treatmetn of childhood anxiety disorders.

Study of hypophyseal hormones in anxious children.

Study of behavioral avoidance using motion tracking technology.

Medical Research Interests

Anxiety; Avoidance Learning; Behavior and Behavior Mechanisms; Child Psychiatry; Fear; Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System; Mental Disorders; Neurobiology; Psychiatry and Psychology; Technology

Research at a Glance

Yale Co-Authors

Frequent collaborators of Eli Lebowitz's published research.

Publications

2024

Clinical Trials

Current Trials

Academic Achievements & Community Involvement

  • activity

    Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies

  • activity

    American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

  • activity

    International OCD Foundation

  • activity

    Anxiety and Depression Association of America

  • activity

    American Psychological Association

Clinical Care

Overview

Eli Lebowitz, PhD, is a child and adolescent psychologist and director of the Yale Child Study Center’s Anxiety and Mood Disorders Program.

“Anxiety disorders are the most treatable problems in mental health,” Lebowitz says. “I enjoy helping children and families impacted by anxiety problems and discovering new ways to treat these problems.”

His research focuses on the development, neurobiology, and treatment of anxiety and related disorders, with special emphasis on cross-generational and familial influences in these disorders. Lebowitz is the lead investigator on multiple research projects, and is the author of numerous research papers and of books and chapters on childhood and adolescent anxiety.

He also developed a parent-based treatment program for children and adolescents with anxiety, OCD, and related problems called SPACE (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions). SPACE has been tested and found to be effective in randomized controlled clinical trials.

Lebowitz says being able to make new discoveries through clinical and neurobiological research and helping children and families is what makes him passionate about his work.

Clinical Specialties

Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

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