Jose Luis Perales, UTEPSA - ALTOC Bolivia

Dr. Perales is a psychologist in Bolivia with training in cognitive behavioral therapy and EMDR. He is the director of ALTOC Bolivia, with studies in behavioral activation, acceptance and commitment therapy, and serves people with OCD and related disorders. He's a collaborator of the LATINO OCD genomics project and works on the dissemination of digital content related to OCD.

Eurípedes Constantino Miguel, MD, PhD

Full Professor, Vice-Chair of the Department of Psychiatry at the Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (FMUSP, University of São Paulo School of Medicine) and Chair of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Since 2003, he has been Coordinator of the Brazilian Consortium for Research on Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders (C-TOC). Prof. Miguel has published over 300 articles and edited 18 books.

Carolina Cappi, PhD

Carolina Cappi, PhD is a postdoctoral fellow in the Buxbaum lab at the Department of Psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS). Carolina's interests are in psychiatric genomics, particularly obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and pediatric psychiatric disorders, and in leveraging samples of diverse ancestry to facilitate gene discovery. Recently Dr. Cappi won 1 K99 MH128540-01A1, NIH/NIMH award to study Genomics of OCD in Latin American Communities.

Carolina Blaya Dreher, Federal University of Health Sciences (UFCSPA) and Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS)

Dr. Carolina Blaya Dreher is a professor of psychiatry at UFCSPA and UFRGS, Brazil. She is a psychiatrist whose research interest includes anxiety disorders and CBT.

Gabriela Mourão Ferreira, Clinical Hospital of the Federal University of Paraná

Dr. Mourão Ferreira is a psychiatrist and received her PhD in psychiatry from the Institute of Psychiatry at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro - Brazil. She is an adjunct professor at the Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine at the Federal University of Paraná - Brazil; clinician and coordinator of the OCD clinic at the Clinical Hospital of the Federal University Paraná, and is a member of GTTOC-Brazil.

Leonardo Fontenelle, Institute of Psychiatry of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro

Dr. Leonardo Fontenelle is a professor at the institute of psychiatry of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, where he directs the Anxiety, Obsessive, and Compulsive Research Program. Since 2011, he also has served as a Senior Researcher at the D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), a research institute funded by the biggest network of private hospitals in Brazil. In 2020, Dr. Fontenelle became an Adjunct Professor at the Department of Psychiatry of Monash University, in Melbourne, VIC, Australia.

Ygor Arzeno Ferrão, Gaucho Research Network on Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders

Dr. Arzeno Ferrão is a psychiatrist, associate professor, chair of the medical residency program in psychiatry and chair of the Gaucho Research Network on Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders at the Porto Alegre Federal University of Health Sciences (UFCSPA). Since 2003, he has been a principal investigator of the Brazilian Consortium for Research on Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders (C-TOC) and since 2020 he has also been a PI of the new Brazilian Consortium for Research on Genetics of Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders. Dr. Ferrão has published over 150 articles about OCD.

Pedro Elias Sater- Clinical Research Coordinator, Universidade Federal de São Paulo and Icahn School of Medicne at Mount Sinai

Pedro is a psychologist with specializations in mental health and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. He has experience in Collective Health in Brazil and Clinical Psychology with an emphasis on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Mindfulness.

Monicke O. Lima - Clinical Research Manager, Universidade Federal de São Paulo

Monicke O. Lima is a psychologist and research fellow at the Institute of Psychiatry of the University of São Paulo FMUSP -Brazil. She is a research fellow, member of the Brazilian OCD Work Group (GTTOC), and training coordinator of the Brazilian team on LATINO data collection and data collection in FMUSP.

Yana Avlim - Clinical Research Coordinator, Universidade Federal de Bahia

Yana Alvim is a student of Psychology, currently in her 3rd year of graduation at Faculdade Santa Casa (Brazil-BA). Yana is participating as a study coordinator and interviewer in the OCD Genetics Brazilian workgroup (GTTOC-UFBA website). She is a member of the Neuropsychopharmacology Laboratory, Psychiatry Service, University Hospital of the Federal University of Bahia (LANP-UFBA), and the International College of Obsessive Compulsive Spectrum Disorders (ICOCS). In addition, she is an interviewer at the Populations Underrepresented in Mental Illness Association Studies (PUMAS) Research Project.

Angela Rodrigues - Clinical Research Assistant, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro

Angela Rodrigues holds a Bachelor's degree in Science and Technology (2018) and a Bachelor's degree in Neuroscience (2018), both from the Federal University of ABC. Currently, she is pursuing a Medicine degree at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and is enrolled in the MD PhD program in Medical Sciences at the D'Or Institute for Research and Education. She serves as a collaborating researcher in the Anxiety, Obsessions, and Compulsions Program research group under the supervision of Professor Dr. Leonardo Fontenelle at the Institute of Psychiatry at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. Her expertise lies in Medicine and Neuroscience, specifically focusing on obsessive-compulsive disorder and schizophrenia.

Manuel Mattheisen, MD

Dr. Mattheisen is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Dalhousie University. His research focuses on psychiatric genetics and his work has led to identification of disease-causing genetic variation in a variety of disorders, including schizophrenia, alcohol dependency, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), ADHD, autism, anxiety disorders, and major depressive disorder. Dr. Mattheisen co-chairs the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium (PGC) TS/OCD disease working group.

Evelyn Stewart, BC Children's Hospital

Dr. S. Evelyn Stewart is a child, adolescent and adult psychiatrist and a clinical and neuroscience researcher. She is a professor of psychiatry in the faculty of medicine at the University of British Columbia and is founding director of the BC Children's Hospital Provincial OCD Clinic and Research Program in Vancouver, Canada. Dr. Stewart is also the research director for BCCH Child, Youth and Reproductive Mental Health program and a member of BC Mental Health & Substance Use Services. She has authored over 130 original papers, reviews and chapters on family, clinical, and treatment aspects of OCD throughout the lifespan.

Paul Arnold, The Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research & Education, University of Calgary

Dr. Arnold, MD, PhD is the inaugural Director of The Mathison Centre for Mental Health & Education and the Alberta Innovates Translational Health Chair in Child and Youth Mental Health at the University of Calgary. He is a Professor with the Departments of Psychiatry, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary and a child and adolescent psychiatrist practicing at Alberta Children's Hospital. His research focuses on how genetic and environmental risk factors interact to influence the development of Obsessive-compulsive and related disorders, and on early interventions in child and adolescent mental health.

Margaret Anne (Peggy) Richter, MD, FRCPC - Sunnybrook Health Science Centre

Dr. Peggy Richter is the inaugural head and co-lead of the Frederick W. Thompson Anxiety Disorders Centre at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, and heads the sole residential treatment program for severe OCD in Canada. She is a professor of psychiatry in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto, and is an associate scientist in the Sunnybrook Research Institute. She serves on the scientific advisory board of the International OCD Foundation, and the Canadian Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviours Support Network. She is a psychiatrist whose research is focused on the genetic and biological basis of this illness, novel treatments and improving outcome.

Matias Jensen, ALTOC

Dr. Jensen is a clinical psychologist from Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Chile. He has specialized in clinical work for patients diagnosed with OCD. Dr. Jensen is currently leading the recruitment team at Evalueserve Chile, collaborating with ALTOC (Latin American Association of OCD) and LATINO (Latin American Trans-ancestry INiciative for OCD genomics).

Pablo Moya, Universidad de Valparaíso

Dr. Moya is a professor in the Institute of Physiology at the Universidad de Valparaíso, and is an associate researcher at the Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso CINV, in Chile. His work focuses on the molecular basis of mood and anxiety disorders, combining psychiatric genetics and behavioral neuroscience. He earned a BS in Biochemistry from Universidad de Santiago and a PhD in Biomedical Sciences from Universidad de Chile, followed by postdoctoral training at NIMH.

Sary Torres Rioseco, ALTOC

Dr. Torres Rioseco is a clinical psychologist with 19 years of experience in mental health. She graduated from the Universidad Santo Tomás de Chile. She is a cognitive-behavioral psychotherapist, with training and clinical experience in OCD, anxiety, and depression, and also has experience with treatment of Excoretion Disorder in children. Additionally, Dr. Torres Rioseco is a member of the Latin American Association of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (ALTOC), as well as a member of the College of Psychologists of Chile.

Tomás Miño Landon, Interdisciplinary Center for Neurosciences of Valparaíso CINV

Dr. Miño Landon is a clinical child and adolescent psychologist, PUC. He received his master's degree in clinical child and adolescent psychology from the University of Chile. He has a specialization in CBT for OCD at Harvard Medical School - Massachusetts General Hospital, and did his postgraduate work in clinical management of stress, anxiety and OCD, at the University of Palermo. Dr. Miño Landon is a member of IOCDF and ICOCSD, and is the founder and director of Hablemos de TOC. He also serves as the director of the clinical diploma in OCD: assessment and comprehensive treatment throughout the lifspan, in Adipa Chile/Mexico.

Macarena Churruca, Universidad de Valparaíso

With a solid academic background, I graduated in Psychology from Universidad Diego Portales in 2008 and later obtained a specialization in Clinical Psychology at the University of Buenos Aires in 2014, where I also played the role of assistant in the Chair of Childhood under the supervision of Professor Juan José Calzetta. In 2020, I finished with honors my Master in Biological Sciences at the University of Valparaiso, where I currently collaborate in the neurogenetics laboratory of Dr. Pablo Moya.

Currently, I work as a Research Advisor at the Academia Politécnica Naval de la Armada de Chile. My focus is on Clinical Psychology for adolescents and adults, as well as teaching in the field of child development and learning. In addition, I am dedicated to researching the neurobiological basis of mental disorders such as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Depression.

Trinidad Olivos, Universidad Alberto Hurtado de Chile

Is a child and adolescent psychologist from the Alberto Hurtado University of Chile. She has a master's degree in psychological intervention of behavior problems at the school of the International University of Valencia (VIU), Spain.

She has a specialization in child and adolescent clinical psychodiagnosis and narrative therapy.

She currently works as a private practice psychologist, supporting children and adolescents with socio-emotional problems and caregivers on parenting.

Vissente Tapia Cuevas, Universidad de Valparaíso

Mr. Tapia Cuevas graduated from the University of Valparaíso with a degree in Psychology. He is a Masters candidate for Biological Neuroscience at the University of Valparaíso. He is currently working on his thesis in the Neurogenetics laboratory under Dr. Pablo Moya. His research interests include depression, stress, and reward circuits.

Guillermo Dager-Perez, Corporación Universitaria Rafael Nuñez - ALTOC Colombia

Dr. Guillermo Dager-Perez is a psychiatrist and psychotherapist who trained at the Universidad el Bosque de Bogotá. He is also a medical doctor for the Universidad del Sinú de Cartagena. He recieved his master's degree in addictions and drug addiction from the CES University of Medellin. He is an experienced researcher, with expertise in OCD. He is also the coordinator of the Department of Mental Health and professor of the Rafael Núñez University Corporation of Cartagena in the Medicine program. Additionally, Dr. Guillermo Dager-Perez is the co-founder of the Latin American Association of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (ALTOC). He is also a collaborator of the LATINO OCD Genomics project, and is a member of the Organizing Committee of the Latin American OCD Congress: LATINO CARTAGENA.

Juan Carlos Rivas, Universidad del Valle

Dr. Rivas graduated as a physician from the Universidad del Valle, and later graduated as a psychiatrist from the same university. In 1998, he was a research fellow in neuropsychiatry at the University of Illinois, Chicago-USA. In 2020, he graduated from the PhD in Biomedical Sciences at the Universidad del Valle, with the thesis "Cognitive and structural changes in schizophrenic patients who develop dementia." In 1999, he created the Neuropsychiatry Clinic of the Hospital Departamental Psiquiátrico Universitario del Valle (HDPUV), in Cali, which is the main mental hospital in southwestern Colombia. Likewise, he participated in the implementation of the first critical care unit for psychiatric patients in Colombia. In 2014, he was appointed Chairman of the department of psychiatry at the Universidad del Valle, a position that he left to begin his doctoral training in 2017. He is currently an associate professor in the department of psychiatry at the Universidad del Valle and an ad-honorem professor at the Universidad ICESI. He works in private practice at the Fundación Valle del Lili, and in the neuropsychiatry consultation of the HDPUV. His current research interests are focused on the study of neuropsychiatric disorders, especially frontotemporal dementias and early-onset Alzheimer's disease. Likewise, he is leading a research project on structural changes in the brain of patients with first psychotic episodes, as well as a project on cognitive changes secondary to COVID-19 infection and the cognitive effects of congestive heart failure.

Dr. Alexie Vallejo Silva, Clínica Nuestra Señora de la Paz

Psychiatrist and Epidemiologist

Psychoanalyst Freudian Psychoanalytic Society of Colombia

Head of the Department of Psychiatry, Universidad del Rosario

Medical and Scientific Director of the Nuestra Señora de la Paz Clinic

Member of the Board of Directors of the Colombian Psychiatry Association

Dr. Jonathan Irreño Sotomonte, Clínica Nuestra Señora de la Paz

Clinical Psychologist, Master in Public Health, Epidemiologist - University of the Andes

CeRSame Group Researcher - Universidad del Rosario

Knowledge Manager, Medical and Scientific Subdirectorate - Clínica de Nuestra Señora de la Paz

Dr. Julian Andres Barrero Contreras, Clínica Nuestra Señora de la Paz

Psychologist, Clinical Epidemiologist in Training and Researcher

Universidad del Rosario / Nuestra Señora de la Paz Clinic

Mariel Paz y Mino, Mental Health Clinic at Universidad San Francisco de Quito

Dr. Paz y Mino serves as the director at the Mental Health Clinic at USFQ as well as a full-time psychology professor. She is a CBT specialist trained at Mclean Hospital OCD Unit and utilizes ACT for working with severe and chronic anxiety patients. She considers herself a mental health activist and develops research and outreach community scalable programs to bring mental health to underserved populations in Ecuador.

Raquel M. Zepeda-Burgos, Universidad Dr. Jose Matias Delgado (UJMD)

Dr. Raquel M. Zepeda-Burgos is a clinical psychologist specializing in both clinical therapy and preventive programs in culturally diverse populations. She completed her Bachelor's degree in Psychology in Canada and her Master's and Doctorate in Clinical and Health Psychology in Spain. She has worked and continued her professional training in North America, Europe and Latin America. She currently lives in El Salvador.

Dr. Zepeda's primary motivation is to provide accessible and culturally appropriate services. Her experience is diverse, working for more than 15 years in clinical settings and community settings, as well as with at-risk populations, in different countries and cultural contexts.

She also works with different non-profit organizations and universities training mental health specialists. She believes in providing effective, evidence-based practice in her clinical work, through the training of other specialists and through research. She continues to participate in research and is the leading investigator for the LATINO study in El Salvador.

Dorian Arlette Colindres Santamaría, Central American technological university center / Ceutec

Dr. Colindres Santamaría received her bachelor of psychology at the Central American Technological University Center/Ceutec. She is currently studying for a diploma in OCD at the TOC center in Argentina and is a master's level intern in health services management, at Unitec. Dr. Colindres Santamaría works in private practice, and in San Carlos Mental Health Clinic. She uses a CBT approach for depression, anxiety, and OCD.

Humberto Nicolini, MD, PhD, Grupo Médico Carracci

Dr. Nicolini is Chief of the Laboratory of Psychiatric Genetics at Psychiatric Services and the National Institute of Genomic Medicine in the Minister of Health, as well as the Director of the OCD Mexican Association and Carracci Medical Group in Mexico City. His main lines of research are on the genetics of several conditions such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, suicide, alcoholism, autism and pharmacogenetics. Dr. Nicolini has published 7 books, and >240 research papers in peer review journals.

Alejandro Arellano, Talk TOC

Alejandro is a Mexican engineer. He is 33 years old and was diagnosed with OCD at age five and has been in psychiatric/pharmacological treatment since age 17. His OCD has been very invasive, which has led him to have relapses and episodes anxiety, depression, social anxiety, and more. Alejandro is currently the coordinator of Talk TOC.

Psic. Ambar Núñez Bracho, SIN TOC

Cognitive-Behavioral Psychologist.
Graduated from Universidad Rafael Urdaneta Maracaibo Venezuela.
Master in University Education.
Certified by the IOCDF in BTTI.
Specialist in Anxiety, OCD and Related Attention adults - children and adolescents.
Coordinator of SIN TOC - Canada.
Director of ALTOC - Canada
Member of the Organizing Committee of the I Latin American OCD Congress: LATINO CARTAGENA 2022.

Andres Gonzalez, ALTOC - México

Dr. Gonzalez is a psychologist with a degree in psychology from the University of Granada (Spain) and a master's degree in cognitive behavioral, clinical, and health psychology from the Aaron Beck Psychology Center. He is a specialist in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder by the IOCDF and member of the same foundation. He has several years of experience in clinical and health psychology treating problems of emotional disorders (major depressive disorder, anxiety disorders), group therapy, courses and workshops of socio-emotional development. Dr. Gonzalez is also the research director of the Latin American Association of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (ALTOC).

Angel Ruiz Chow, Neurodigital Human Project

Dr. Chow is a neuropsychiatrist, and works at the center of psychiatry at the National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery MVS, Mexico. He is the founder of Neurodigital Human Project, a center specializing in non-invasive brain neuromodulation. Dr. Chow has special interest in deep brain stimulation, electroconvulsive therapy, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, and other current direct therapies for various neuropsychiatric symptoms.

Beatriz Treviño-de la Garza, Universidad de Monterrey

Dr. Treviño-de la Garza trained as a physician and psychotherapist and specialized in cognitive behavioral therapy. She has been working as a private clinician for four years, devoting her practice to treating patients with anxiety, OCD and emotional dysregulation.

Belinda Núñez Bracho, SIN TOC

Dr. Núñez Bracho is a psychologist with 24 years of experience. She graduated from the Universidad Rafael Urdaneta Maracaibo, Zulia State, in Venezuela, and has a masters degree in cognitive behavioral therapy. She is the founder and director of the specialized psychological firm, SIN TOC, and is the director of the Latin American Association of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (ALTOC- MEXICO). She is certified by the IOCDF with the BTTI, and is the academic coordinator of the OCD section of the Psychiatric Association of Mexico (APM). Dr. Núñez Bracho has 23 years of teaching experience in different subjects of psychology, and has been a national and international speaker at several congresses and academic events. She's currently a collaborating researcher of the OCD Genetics Study "LATINO", and is on the Organizing Committee of the Latin American Congress (TOC LATINO Cartagena).

Carolina Valdés, TOC México

Dr. Valdés is a cognitive-behavioral clinical psychologist. She graduated from the Universidad Panamericana, and specialized in clinical and health psychology at the same university. She has received specialized training in cognitive-behavioral techniques by the Mexican Institute of cognitive behavioral therapy, as well as in the treatment of OCD and related disorders by TOC México.

Cynthia Barrera, TOC México

Cynthia Barrera graduated from the University of Monterrey. She is a specialist in OCD and related disorders, and uses interventions such as exposure and response prevention, impulse control training and habit reversal, mindfulness, and acceptance and commitment therapy. She was trained by internationally certified experts from the International OCD Foundation (Behavior Therapy Training Institute - Rogers Behavioral Health Nashville, TN.), the TLC Foundation for body-focused repetitive behaviors (Trichotillomania and Dermatillomania) and by the ACT Institute of Spain.

Daniela del Río Zamacona, UTOC

Ms. Del Rio is a psychologist in training with a great passion for learning. She is a very sociable person with a great sense of humor, and has always been at the service of others. She always likes to face new challenges and learn about different topics, especially in the area of psychology.

Denisse Ronquillo, Private Practice

Dra. Ronquillo is a psychiatrist with a high medical specialty in the management of OCD and related disorders and a degree in cognitive behavioral therapy from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). She completed master's studies and has participated in various lines of research that investigated diverse aspects of OCD and related disorders. She is currently dedicated to private practice in which she mainly cares for patients with OCD and spectrum disorders, and teaches as an adjunct professor of psychiatry at La Salle University.

Felipe Rangel, TOC México

Dr. Rangel studied medicine at the Universidad Anáhuac México Norte, and received his master's degree at Ithe nstituto de Terapia Racional Emotiva México, and his specialty in psychiatry at the National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery, He is a psychiatrist at Centro de Alta Especialidad Neurociencias MDK, as well as at Grupo Médico Carracci. Dr. Rangel is also a professor at Escuela Médico Naval.

Joali Juarez, Talk TOC

Joali Juarez is a Mexican woman, architect, and creator of Talk TOC, a Spanish-language community of OCD patients for OCD patients. TALK TOC seeks to talk openly about OCD and break the stigmas that surround it. Talk TOC also has virtual mutual support groups for patients and people close to them, interviews with OCD specialists, and a cloud with accurate information about OCD and mental health in general.

José Martínez, TOC México

José Martínez received his master's degree in clinical psychology from the Universidad Iberoamericana. He has received training in the diagnosis and treatment of OCD (Bootcamp 1 and 2), as well as in acceptance and commitment therapy. Liber; ACT Madrid Institute. Certification. Primary level, Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy. He also has a diploma in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Liber CBT-ITCC Mexico.

Lorena Ponce, TOC México

Lorena Ponce received her degree in psychology from the University of Lima-Peru, and her master's degree in clinical psychology and psychotherapy from the University of Valencia-Spain, with a specialized orientation in both a cognitive behavioral approach and third generation therapies (Mindfulness and ACT). Her professional experience includes the clinical area where she has a special emphasis on working with children, adolescents and young adults.

Mayra Martinez Mallen

Dr. Mallen is a psychiatrist and cognitive behavioral therapist specializing in OCD and related disorders. She is a member of the Neurological Center of the Centro Medico ABC, and the founder member of the TLC Foundation for Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors in Spanish. Additionally, Dr. Mallen teaches at the Behavioral Therapy Training Institute from the International OCD Foundation in Mexico.

Pablo León, TOC México

Dr. León is a surgeon and graduated from the Mexican School of Medicine Universidad La Salle. He has a specialty in psychiatry and a postgraduate degree in neuropsychiatry from the National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery (INNN). He also has a master's and doctorate in medical sciences from the National Autonomous University of Mexico, where he did research stays at the University of California, San Diego. As a member of the research team of the Laboratory of Experimental Psychiatry of the INNN, he has published in several high impact international scientific journals.

Pamela Claisse Quiroz, UTOC

Dr. Claisse Quiroz is a clinical psychologist with a specialty in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and related disorders treatment. She is also certified in Ttauma, and is a doctoral student in couples and family therapy. Dr. Claisse Quiroz also teaches at the undergraduate level.

Tamara Peregrina, México sin Estrés

Dr. Peregrina is a cognitive behavioral psychologist at México sin Estrés®. She graduated from the Universidad Anáhuac, and received her diploma in cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety disorders. She obtained her master's degree and specialization in clinical psychology and child and adolescent psychotherapy from ISEP Madrid. Dr. Peregrina is certified in behavior therapy training by the International OCD Foundation.

Tania Pérez Duarte, TOC México

Tania Pérez Duarte is a cognitive-behavioral clinical psychologist. She graduated from the Universidad Anahuac del Norte and is a specialist in OCD and related disorders (therapies include exposure and response prevention, mindfulness and acceptance and commitment therapy). Dr. Pérez Duarte was trained by Massachusetts General Hospital, the International OCD Foundation in Boston and Harvard (Pediatric Behavior Therapy Training Institute for adults, Children and Adolescents), and Peds at BTTI Rogers Memorial Hospital, in Oconomowoc, WI). She is currently the founder and director of TOC Mexico.

Nuria Lanzagorta, Grupo Médico Carracci

Nuria Lanzagorta is a Mexican neuropsychologist and researcher with extensive experience in the field of mental health. She graduated with honors from the Universidad Iberoamericana and has completed postgraduate studies at prestigious universities in Mexico, Spain, and the United States.

Her clinical work has focused on neuropsychological diagnosis and personality disorders, as well as therapeutic intervention for patients with nicotine addiction. She has taught at the undergraduate level and has worked as a study coordinator in more than 20 clinical trials and academic research projects. She has published more than 70 scientific articles, with an h-index of 17 and more than 2,200 citations.

Her line of research focuses on the study of genetic, neuropsychological, and personality variables of various mental disorders. She has collaborated on projects funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) in the United States and has worked with researchers from renowned institutions.

She is currently the director of research at Grupo Médico Carracci and founder of the Mexican College of Neuropsychology. Her work contributes to the advancement of knowledge and professional practice in the field of mental health.

Alonso Morales, Neurodigital Human Project

Dr. Alonso Morales-Rivero is a Psychiatrist and Neuropsychiatrist from Mexico. He received training in psychopatology of emotions from Universidad Complutense de Madrid. He is also trained in Behavioral Neurology at the University of Toronto. He conducts clinical research in cooperation with the Memory Clinic at Toronto Western Hospital. He is staff at ABC Medical Center in Mexico City. He works closely with neurodegenerative disorders, movements disorders, including TICS and similar phenomena along the OCD spectrum.

Anabel de la Rosa Gómez, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

She has a bachelor's degree in psychology, approved with honors, and a PhD in Psychology from the Faculty of Psychology of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). Two research stays, one doctoral in 2010 and another as a visiting researcher in 2017, both at the Jaume I University, in Castellon de la Plana, Spain.

She is a full-time, definitive B professor, at Psychology department of the Open University and Distance Education System. Coordinator of the Distance Education Coordination of the Faculty of Higher Studies Iztacala, UNAM. Head of the Laboratory of Psychology and Technological Innovation- LABPSIIT- and the Center for Distance Educational and Psychological Support (CAPED, in Spanish). Member of the National System of Researchers (Mexico), level I. Her main lines of research: Trauma-related disorders, post-traumatic growth, and resilience; Study of moderating and mediating variables and mechanisms of change in a vulnerable population and evaluation of emerging digital psychological interventions (telepsychology).

Sandra Ivonne Muñoz Maldonado, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

She is a full-time professor, PhD in Psychology from the UNAM. She has worked on the incorporation of new technologies in health, educational and clinical fields. She specializes in the psychological intervention of bullying, cyberbullying, phobias, obsessive compulsive disorder with the support of virtual reality technology. In the field of health, she has conducted research related to stress and coping in relation to BMI. In the educational field, she specializes in the use of technology for teaching-learning, particularly in distance education. She has participated in the realization of online self-managed courses and related variables to greater learning, as well as the integration of interprofessional training for collaborative practice in students of careers in the health area.

Member of the SNI Level I, member of the Research Group on Psychological and Social Processes, as well as of the Latin American Network of Teaching Psychology in Open and Distance System, member of the Inter-American Society of Psychology. She participates as a reviewer of the Hamut'ay Magazine of the Alas Peruanas University, Iztacala Electronic Journal of Psychology, International Digital Journal of Psychology and Social Science, Journal of Dissemination Crisis and Challenges in the Family and the Couple.

She has published articles in national and international indexed scientific journals, as well as four book chapters, has presented papers at national and international professional events, and has developed teaching support material on the treatment of agoraphobia, research methodology, use of SPSS, and construction of instruments. She has collaborated in research projects funded by various institutions (CONACYT, PAPIIT, PAPIME) and in organizing committees of professional events. She was a tutor of the Gustavo Baz Prada Award 2017.

Cinthia Aguirre, Hosputal de Clínicas - ALTOC Paraguay

Dr. Cinthia Aguirre Roman. Is a clinical psychologist. She works as a psychotherapist and full time researcher of OCD, and has a double degree from the Universidad Americana and Universidad de Chile in clinical psychology. She is currently working on developing new forms of therapy for OCD based on evidence and scientific arguments related to evolutionary psychology.

Victor Adorno, Hosputal de Clínicas - ALTOC Paraguay

Dr. Adorno Queved is a member of the faculty of medical sciences at UNA, and is a specialist in clinical psychiatry. He is an adjunct professor of clinical psychiatry, and works with techniques such as transcranial magnetic stimulation for depression, anxiety, OCD, and other psychiatric and neurological disorders. He is the president of the Paraguayan Association of Psychiatrists (2018-2020), and the general director of the Psychiatric Hospital (2018 - 2022).

Alvaro Flores, Universidad Privada del Norte - ALTOC Peru

Dr. Flores is a psychologist from the University of Piura. He is also a member director of the Latin American Association of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (ALTOC). He currently works as a cognitive behavioral therapist treating anxiety, depression and OCD problems. He has received training in various centers in Latin America in CBT, ACT, and behavioral activation. In addition, he is a professor at the Instituto Especializado de Psicología Basada en Evidencia (IEPBE) and a member of the ALTOC research group participating in research lines related to OCD in Latin American population.

Elba Luna, Papás y Mamás Jóvenes (PMJ), Peruvian National Institute of Mental Heatlh (Instituto Nacional de Salud Mental de Peru)

Dr. Luna is a psychiatrist. She studied medicine at the National University of San Marcos in Lima Perú. She works at the Peruvian National Institute of Mental Health in the investigation Department. In addition to participating in the LATINO project, she is the general coordinator of a clinical trial about a counseling program to prevent intimate partner violence and child abuse in people who are waiting for their first baby. Nowadays, she is teaching a course called Humanistic Personal Formation at the National University of San Marcos.

Marcos Ochoa-Panaifo, Private University of the North - ALTOC Peru

Dr. Ochoa-Panaifo is a behavioral psychologist and researcher, with a degree in clinical psychology from the Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola- USIL. He graduated with an outstanding mention. He received his master's degree in clinical and health psychology at the UCT Clinical Psychology of Universidad Andrés Bello - UNAB of Chile. Behavioral-Cognitive Psychotherapist from INEICIPS. He is a specialist in exposure and response prevention (EPR) for OCD, and in behavior designs. Behavioral sciences and clinical research in OCD. Exchange at Walt Disney World (USA). He is the co-founder of the Latin American Association of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (ALTOC), and is a collaborator of LATINO OCD Genomics project in Peru. Dr. Ochoa-Panaifo is also a member of the Organizing Committee of the I Latin American Congress of the TOC: LATINO CARTAGENA.

Eric Storch, PhD, Baylor College of Medicine

Dr. Storch serves as Principal Investigator of the LATINO grant for the Baylor College of Medicine site. Dr. Storch is Professor and McIngvale Presidential Endowed Chair in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Baylor College of Medicine. He serves as Vice Chair and Head of Psychology, and co-directs the OCD program at Baylor with Dr. Wayne Goodman.

James J. Crowley, PhD, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill

Dr. Crowley's research focuses on psychiatric genomics of OCD and Tourette syndrome. He earned a BS in biology from Cornell University and a PhD in pharmacology from the University of Pennsylvania, followed by postdoctoral work in genetics at Duke University.

Elizabeth Atkinson, PhD, Baylor College of Medicine

Elizabeth Atkinson (Assistant Professor, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine) is a population and statistical geneticist working towards increased inclusion of diverse ancestry participants in genomics. Her work is centered around neuropsychiatric traits with particular focus on admixed American populations and groups of African descent, though many of her tools are broadly applicable across phenotypes and populations.

Anthony Zoghbi, MD, Baylor College of Medicine

Dr. Zoghbi was recently appointed Assistant Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Molecular and Human Genetics at Baylor College of Medicine and serves as Chief of Neuropsychiatric Genetics. He is a psychiatrist and geneticist whose research interests include the genetic basis of severe forms of mental illness, genetic mechanisms of treatment resistance, and the clinical implementation of genetics to improve risk prediction and novel therapeutic development.

Gabriel Lázaro-Muñoz, PhD, JD, Harvard Medical School

Dr. Lázaro-Muñoz is Assistant Professor of Psychiatry in the Center for Bioethics at Harvard Medical School and the Department of Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Lázaro-Muñoz combines his background in neuroscience, law, and bioethics to examine the implications of emerging biomedical technologies in neuroscience and genomics.

Hailing Huang, PhD, Harvard Medical School

Dr. Huang is an Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). He is also an Associated Member of the Broad Institute. His research focuses on developing new statistical and analytical methods to understand the genetic factors driving complex disorders, especially autoimmune and psychiatric disorders. His studies use large-scale data from various consortia and public sources such as UK Biobank, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Roadmap for Medical Research, and the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) project.

Paola Giusti-Rodríguez, PhD, Universtiy of Florida

Dr. Giusti-Rodríguez is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Florida. Her work lies at the intersection between neuroscience and functional genomics, and she aims to integrate the tools and techniques of these fields to shed light on the genetics of neuropsychiatric disorders. Dr. Giusti Rodríguez is co-founder of the Latin American Genomics Consortium, which seeks to increase the representation of research participants from Latinx admixed ancestry in genetic studies on psychiatric disorders.

Andrew Wiese, PhD, Baylor College of Medicine

Andrew completed his PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Missouri - Kansas City in 2021. As a clinician and researcher, he is focused on advancing understanding of anxiety and obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders while also providing empirically supported interventions to individuals with these conditions.

Wayne Goodman, MD, Baylor College of Medicine

Wayne Goodman, MD, D.C and Irene Ellwood Professor and Chair of the Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Baylor College of Medicine, specializes in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) for intractable psychiatric illnesses. He is the principal developer of the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), the gold standard for assessing OCD, and co-founder of the International OCD Foundation.

Michele Pato, MD, Rugters University

Dr. Pato is the inaugural director of the new Rutgers Center for Genomics of Psychiatric Health and Addiction and is Professor of Psychiatry in both Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and New Jersey Medical School. Dr. M Pato has co-led, with Dr. Carlos Pato, extensive population genetic studies in schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and OCD for over 30 years, including the Genomic Psychiatry Cohort (GPC).

Tim Bigdeli, PhD

Dr. Bigdeli is a statistical geneticist at SUNY Downstate in Brooklyn, NY whose research centers on the epidemiologies of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depressive disorder in diverse populations. He currently leads analytical efforts for the Genomic Psychiatry Cohort (GPC) and VA Cooperative Studies Program (CSP) #572.

Stacey Pereira, PhD, Baylor College of Medicine

Dr. Pereira is an assistant professor in the Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy. Her current research focuses on social and ethical issues in genomics, with particular emphasis on the impact of integrating genomics into the clinical care of different populations, including newborns, healthy adults, and military personnel. Additional research interests include issues related to banking, sharing, and research use of human biospecimens. She received her BA in psychology from Clark University, summa cum laude, and her PhD in anthropology from Rice University.

Matt Halvorsen, PhD, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill

Dr. Halvorsen's research focuses on analyzing common and rare genetic variation in obsessive-compulsive disorder and Tourette's Syndrome, with the ultimate goal of determining what genetic variants confer risk. He received his BS in Biochemistry from SUNY Geneseo and a PhD in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology from UNC Chapel Hill, followed by postdoctoral training in genetics at Columbia University.

Andres Viana, University of Houston - Child Temperament, Thoughts and Emotion Laboratory

Dr. Viana is an associate professor of psychology at the University of Houston, a board-certified clinical child and adolescent psychologist, and director of the Child Temperament, Thoughts and Emotion Laboratory. Dr. Viana's program of research focuses on the examination of temperamental and cognitive-affective mechanisms implicated in anxiety and related disorders generally, and among Latinx individuals, specifically. The overarching goal of this program of research is to advance knowledge regarding the underlying causes of anxiety disorders, to reduce their comorbidity with other problematic outcomes (e.g., alcohol use), and to improve existing treatments.

Dean McKay, Ph.D., Fordham University

Dean McKay, Ph.D., is Professor of Psychology at Fordham University. Dr. McKay was President of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT) in 2014, and the Society for a Science of Clinical Psychology (SSCP) in 2018. He has edited or co-edited 22 books dealing with treatment of complex cases in children and adults, obsessive-compulsive disorder, disgust in psychopathology, and research methodology. Dr. McKay has published more than 300 journal articles and book chapters and has more than 350 conference presentations. He is board certified in both cognitive-behavioral and clinical psychology of the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP), as well as a Fellow of APA and APS. His research has focused primarily on obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), the role of disgust in psychopathology, and, most recently, on selective sound sensitivity (also known as misophonia).

Diana Rancourt, University of South Florida

Dr. Rancourt is an associate professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of South Florida in Tampa, FL, USA. Her research examines biopsychosocial contributors to adolescents' and young adults' weight-related behaviors (e.g., dieting, uncontrolled eating, muscle-gaining behaviors). She is particularly interested in the ability to detect and trust hunger and satiety cues and peer influences as contributors to weight-related behaviors. Dr. Rancourt currently is a co-investigator on NIH grants 1) testing a culturally competent, evidence-based, community-centered obesity intervention, ADAPT+, to address obesity in Latino youth living in rural communities and 2) assessing COVID-19 testing and vaccine uptake attitudes and behaviors among rural Latino migrants in Southwest Florida.

Dr. John Hettema, Texas A&M Health Sciences Center

John "Jack" Hettema, MD, PhD, is professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Texas A&M Health Sciences Center. Dr. Hettema is a clinician-scientist who participates in patient care, clinical teaching, and research activities. His research efforts focus on the epidemiology, genetics, and biology of the anxiety and related disorders. Dr. Hettema co-chairs the Anxiety Disorders workgroup for the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium (PGC).

Joseph Hovey, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Dr. Hovey is a professor in the Department of Psychological Science at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Dr. Hovey earned a BA in anthropology from UCLA and a PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Michigan. His research focuses on suicide risk and prevention, behavioral health of acculturating individuals, rural health, cultural adaptation and development of psychological measures, and the dissemination and implementation of evidence-based interventions for anxiety, depression, and suicidal behavior.

Joseph McGuire, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Dr. McGuire is an associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. His research focuses on investigating the learning processes and mechanisms that underlie the etiology and treatment of OCD, anxiety, and related disorders in children, adolescents, and adults using clinical rating scales, physiological markers, and innovative technologies. His work seeks to improve evidence-based treatments to help patients and families achieve optimal outcomes. Dr. McGuire's research has been supported by the National Institute of Mental Health, Tourette Association of America, Hilda and Preston Davis Foundation, Misophonia Research Fund, and the American Academy of Neurology.

Laura Seligman, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Dr. Seligman is a professor in the Department of Psychological Science at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and president of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (2021-2002). She earned a PhD and MS in clinical psychology from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and a BA in psychology, with a minor in statistics, from the State University of New York College at Oneonta. Dr. Seligman is board-certified in cognitive-behavioral therapy and her research focuses on internalizing disorders in youth and the dissemination and implementation of evidence-based behavioral health treatments.

Melanie Longhurst, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso (TTUHSC-EP) Department of Psychiatry

Melanie Longhurst, Ph.D., M.Ed. is an assistant professor, licensed clinical psychologist, and psychology training director in the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso (TTUHSC-EP) Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Longhurst also works in collaboration with residents and faculty in the TTUHSC-EP Department of Family and Community Medicine Kenworthy as a behavioral scientist and core faculty member of the residency program. She earned a M.Ed. in guidance and counseling from the University of Texas at El Paso and a Ph.D. in counseling psychology from Texas Tech University. She completed her pre-doctoral internship and post-doctoral fellowship in clinical psychology at the South Texas Veterans Health Care System specializing in primary care behavioral health integration and health psychology. She is a native of El Paso, Texas and passionate about increasing access to mental health services and wellness, as well as multicultural issues impacting Latinx individuals.

Sheldon R. Garrison, Rogers Behavioral Health

Sheldon Garrison, Ph.D. is a research scientist at Rogers Behavioral Health. Dr. Garrison has more than 15 years of experience in health care, the pharmaceutical and life science industries, and academia. His research is focused on understanding genetic involvement in psychiatric disorders and how those genes influence treatment response for affected patients. Prior to joining Rogers, Dr. Garrison's research focused on developing treatments for rare and genetic diseases, as well as speeding the time to diagnosis. He has published and received funding in the areas of neuroscience, rare disease health care economics, genetics, drug development, pain and sensory biology, Phelan-McDermid Syndrome, trichotillomania, and sickle cell disease. His research has also resulted in the granting of two U.S. Food and Drug Administration Orphan Drug Designations.

Jonathan S. Comer, Ph.D., Florida International University

Dr. Comer is a professor of psychology at Florida International University (FIU), where he serves as (a) director of the Mental Health Interventions and Technology (MINT) Anxiety Program—an interdisciplinary clinical research laboratory devoted to expanding the reach and responsiveness of child mental health services, and (b) director of the SAMSHA-funded Network for Enhancing Wellness in Disaster-Affected Youth (NEW DAY), which provides expertise and support in disaster mental health planning, preparedness, and response. His research focuses predominantly on child anxiety, OCD, and trauma, with special attention to key associated features such as irritability, emotion dysregulation, disruptive behavior problems, and family dysfunction. His interventions research examines the roles of remote technologies for extending the availability, accessibility, and acceptability of supported care. His work has been funded by NIMH, NICHD, SAMHSA, PCORI, and NSF, among other sources.

Rozmin Jiwani. PhD, UT Health San Antonio's School of Nursing

Dr. Rozmin Jiwani is an Associate Professor at UT Health San Antonio's School of Nursing, as well as serving as a Research Health Scientist at the Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Centers within the South Texas Veterans Health Care System, Dr. Jiwani seamlessly bridges academia and research. As a dedicated nurse-scientist, she exemplifies her commitment by volunteering her expertise to mentor Masters of Science in Nursing Students' Thesis Committees at Aga Khan University in Karachi, Pakistan. Dr. Jiwani's academic journey has been marked by an exploration of chronic conditions and their intricate effects on health. Through her clinical and research endeavors, she has demonstrated a keen understanding of modifiable lifestyle behaviors that significantly influence health outcomes. Employing mixed methods designs, she has meticulously examined the perceptions of illness and coping strategies within vulnerable communities, fostering the foundation for interventions that honor diverse cultural contexts. Her postdoctoral fellowship, supported by the Geriatrics Research, Education, and Clinical Center at the South Texas Veterans Health Care System, has fortified her expertise in the realm of aging research. Dr. Jiwani's accomplishments extend further, with recognition as an RL5 Scholar through the San Antonio Claude D. Pepper Center, and the acquisition of a competitive pilot award, both of which underscore her expanding influence in the field. Currently, Dr. Jiwani's trajectory converges with the emerging discipline of geroscience, where her resolute objective is to establish enduring strategies for lifestyle interventions. Her overarching goal encompasses combating frailty, mitigating multiple chronic conditions, and elevating health span. Notably, she has recently completed a pilot project titled "Group-led Yoga and Mindfulness-Based Intervention to Improve Mental Health Outcomes in South Asian Middle- and Older-Aged Women," demonstrating her dedication to advancing mental health initiatives within specific demographic contexts. She is a member of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and the Gerontological Society of America.

Karen Martinez-Gonzalez, MD, MSc, University of Puerto Rico

Karen G. Martinez-Gonzalez, MD, MSc is a child and adolescent psychiatrist in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She is an Associate Professor at the University of Puerto Rico where she directs the Center for the Study and Treatment of Fear and Anxiety and is the Chair of the Department of Psychiatry. She also completed a Post-Doctoral Master’s in Clinical and Translational Research in 2006 and is now the Principal Investigator (R25MD007607) and Director of this program. She is also the Principal Investigator (R21MD013652) of a grant studying the epigenetic and microbial profile of prenatal stress related to Hurricane María and the Puerto Rico Racial & Ethnic Minority Acceleration Consortium for Health Equity (PR-REACH) FDA award U01FD007977. She is an active member of several professional organizations, such as the Anxiety and Depression Association of America where she recently received the Member Recognition Award for her work on the Multicultural and the Women’s Mental Health Special Interest Groups. She is also part of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) Trauma and Disaster Committee and president of the Puerto Rico Chapter; member of the board of directors and past president of the Association for Clinical and Translational Science (ACTS). She is currently the site PI for the LATINO-OCD study at the University of Puerto Rico.

Jacey Anderberg, B.A., B.S., Baylor College of Medicine

She graduated with a B.S. in Psychology and a B.A. in Spanish from the University of South Dakota with highest honors. Her honors undergraduate thesis explored cognitive fusion as a mechanism of maintaining the relation of cognitive anxiety sensitivity and rumination. She currently works as a Research Coordinator for the LATINO project at Baylor College of Medicine. Moreover, her primary research interests include anxiety and depressive disorders, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and culturally sensitive interventions in Latino, Hispanic, and other traditionally underserved minority communities. She plans to pursue her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology in the future.

Renee Frederick, MAT, Baylor College of Medicine

She received her bachelor's degree from The University of Texas at Austin and a master's degree from Relay Graduate School of Education. Prior to working as a research coordinator for the LATINO study at Baylor College of Medicine, she taught middle and high school for six years. Her research focuses primarily on the presentation and treatment of OCD in Hispanic and Latino communities. Eventually she would like to work directly with adolescents and their families again while working on research that helps to empower and educate Hispanic and Latino communities around mental health topics.

Josselyn Muñoz, BA, Baylor College of Medicine

She graduated from Rice University with a Bachelor of Arts in Cognitive Sciences with a distinction in research and creative work. Her thesis examined the effects of parenting behaviors on the emotion regulation of premature toddlers during problem-solving tasks. She is a research coordinator working on the LATINO and Texas Children's Consortium projects at Baylor College of Medicine. She is interested in the impact of life experiences (trauma, violence, and bullying) on educational outcomes, resilience, emotional development, and psychopathology. She is looking forward to pursuing an MD or PhD to help immigrant and minority children break down barriers in healthcare, cope with difficult situations, and develop resilience-based mechanisms.

Catherine Rast, BA

She currently serves as the lab manager for Dr. Eric Storch at Baylor College of Medicine. She received her Bachelor of Arts with Honors in psychology and neuroscience and a minor in German Studies from Vanderbilt University. Her research interests include the development of novel treatments and interventions for anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders. She plans to pursue a Ph.D. in clinical psychology.

Kesley Ramsey, PhD

Dr. Kesley Ramsey is a licensed clinical psychologist and post-doctoral research fellow at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. She currently conducts clinical research at the Center for OCD, Anxiety, and related disorders for Children (COACH). Her research centers on investigating the mechanisms that underlie the etiology, maintenance, and treatment of neuropsychiatric conditions, specifically obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), obsessive-compulsive related disorders (OCRD) such as misophonia, Tourette Syndrome, and anxiety disorders.

Daniel Guttfreund, PhD

Daniel Guttfreund Ph.D. earned his Bachelor's degree from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He furthered his scholarly pursuits by earning a Ph.D. from the California School of Professional Psychology in San Diego. Subsequently, he engaged in postdoctoral work at the Hebrew University, blending clinical work with cutting-edge research. In 1992, Dr. Guttfreund returned to his home country, El Salvador, and together with his wife, Lisa, raised their three daughters. Over the last decade, he has fostered a fruitful collaboration with Dr. Eric Storch. Dr. Guttfreund's clinical approach is anchored in psychodynamic principles, complemented by extensive training and experience in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), specializing in treating conditions such as OCD, phobias, and PTSD.