Research Focus

My research is in helping children manage weight issues. In particular, I am active on a study with nutrition and physical fitness to help young, overweight Latino children lose weight. This program is culturally adapted and family-oriented. I often consult on interdisciplinary research to help teams work together and identify their strengths to contribute to science, training and clinical application in the real world.

Current Projects

■ Project VALE – This is an interdisciplinary study to help young Latino overweight children manage their weight. In collaboration with colleagues from Nutrition and Kinesiology, I oversee the behavioral part of the family-based and culturally adapted intervention. We also involve graduate and undergraduate students in all aspects of the research and intervention, helping train the next generation of interdisciplinary providers.

■ Commitment to Veterans and Our Community – At GMU CPS, we coordinate with community and state agencies to provide evidence-based mental health services that the research supports. This includes testing of veterans to help them obtain earned benefits, providing short term skills-based therapy to teens referred by the schools, and other research supported interventions to our community members.

Select Publications

■ J. Yarbro & R. S. Mehlenbeck, Financial analysis of behavioral health services in a pediatric endocrinology clinic. Journal of Pediatric Psychology 41(8), 879-87 (2015).

■ L. Breithaupt et al., Rumination and self-control interact to predict bulimic symptomatology in college students. Eating Behaviors, 22, 1-4 (2016).

■ B. A. Rallis et al., A brief peer gatekeeper suicide prevention training: results of an open pilot trial. Journal of Clinical Psychology 74(7), 1106-1116 (2018).

■ S. Gallo et al., Feasibility of a multidisciplinary and culturally adapted pediatric weight management program for Latino families: results from the Vidas Activas y Familias Saludables pilot study. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior 52(1), 55-63 (2020).