Directors

Dr. Amir’s research focuses on cognitive-behavioral approaches to anxiety, with particular emphasis on the mechanisms of emotional regulation and exposure therapy. Over the years, he has published numerous influential papers and has been instrumental in advancing clinical practices in his areas of expertise.

Dr. Kuckertz received her PhD from the San Diego State University/UC San Diego Joint Doctoral Program under the mentorship of Dr. Nader Amir. Her research interests are in mechanisms of treatment for OCD and anxiety disorders, including traditional interventions such as exposure and response prevention therapy as well as novel cognitive bias modification programs. Dr. Kuckertz’s research uses advanced statistical methodology that appropriately leverages the full richness of longitudinal mechanistic data to examine impact on clinical outcomes. Her clinical expertise is in treating OCD and anxiety disorders in children, adolescents, and adults.

Dr. Najmi specializes in empirically supported treatments for OCD, Social Phobia, Specific Phobia, Panic Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. The main focus of her clinical practice is weekly and intensive Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) treatment for OCD.