Risa B. Weisberg, PhD
Professor, Psychiatry
Biography
Risa B. Weisberg, PhD, is a Professor of Psychiatry at the Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine and the Director of Training for the VA Boston Healthcare System Psychology Internship Program. She is also an Adjunct Professor for both the departments of Psychiatry and Human Behavior and Family Medicine at the Alpert Medical School, Brown University. Dr. Weisberg is a committed mentor, assisting in the development of clinical research skills in psychology interns and postdoctoral fellows. She works across the domains of training, supervising, treating patients, and conducting research, while being an active member of numerous committees,associations, and editorial boards.
Dr. Weisberg is a graduate of Tufts University (BA) and the University at Albany, State University of New York (PhD in clinical psychology). She completed a pre-doctoral internship and a post-doctoral fellowship at Brown University, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Psychology Training Consortium.
Dr. Weisberg’s research interests are anxiety disorders, mental and behavioral health treatment in general medical settings, cognitive-behavioral therapy, dissemination and implementation of evidence-based care, and sexual and reproductive health. Currently, she is the principal investigator (MPI) of 2 National Institute of Health funded projects to develop behavioral treatments for primary care patients with chronic low back pain and comorbid physical and mental health problems (depression, HIV+, and opiate dependence). She has also served as PI and Co-investigator of the Harvard/Brown Anxiety Research Project (HARP) and the Primary Care Anxiety Project (PCAP). Both were longitudinal, observational studies, examining the nature and course of anxiety disorders. HARP focused on anxiety in ethnic minorities, and PCAP focused on anxiety in primary care patients. She has completed a K-23 Career Development Award that developed a cognitive-behavioral therapy for primary care patients with anxiety disorders.
Other Positions
- VA Boston Healthcare System
Education
- State University of New York at Albany, PhD
- Tufts University, BA
Publications
- Published on 10/20/2023
Livingston NA, Sarpong A, Sistad R, Roth C, Banducci AN, Simpson T, Hyde J, Davenport M, Weisberg R. Gender differences in receipt of telehealth versus in person behavioral therapy, medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD), and 90-day MOUD retention during the pandemic: A retrospective veteran cohort study. J Subst Use Addict Treat. 2024 Jan; 156:209188. PMID: 37866437.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 2/3/2023
Uebelacker LA, Pinkston MM, Busch AM, Baker JV, Anderson B, Caviness CM, Herman DS, Weisberg RB, Abrantes AM, Stein MD. HIV-PASS (Pain and Sadness Support): Randomized Controlled Trial of a Behavioral Health Intervention for Interference Due to Pain in People Living With HIV, Chronic Pain, and Depression. Psychosom Med. 2023 Apr 01; 85(3):250-259. PMID: 36799731.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 11/1/2022
Livingston NA, Davenport M, Head M, Henke R, LeBeau LS, Gibson TB, Banducci AN, Sarpong A, Jayanthi S, Roth C, Camacho-Cook J, Meng F, Hyde J, Mulvaney-Day N, White M, Chen DC, Stein MD, Weisberg R. The impact of COVID-19 and rapid policy exemptions expanding on access to medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD): A nationwide Veterans Health Administration cohort study. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2022 Dec 01; 241:109678. PMID: 36368167.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 8/11/2022
Shepardson RL, Fletcher TL, Funderburk JS, Weisberg RB, Beehler GP, Maisto SA. Barriers to and facilitators of using evidence-based, cognitive-behavioral anxiety interventions in integrated primary care practice. Psychol Serv. 2023 Nov; 20(4):709-722. PMID: 35951391.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 7/1/2022
Magidson JF, Weisberg RB. Implementing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Specialty Medical Settings. Focus (Am Psychiatr Publ). 2022 Jul; 20(3):325-329. PMID: 37205015.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 6/28/2022
Pinkston MM, Busch AM, Stein M, Baker J, Caviness C, Herman D, Weisberg R, Abrantes AM, Uebelacker LA. Improving functioning in HIV+ patients with chronic pain and comorbid depression: Protocol for a randomized clinical trial testing a collaborative behavioral health intervention based on behavioral activation. Contemp Clin Trials. 2022 Aug; 119:106842. PMID: 35777696.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 1/31/2022
Shepardson RL, Funderburk JS, Weisberg RB, Maisto SA. Brief, modular, transdiagnostic, cognitive-behavioral intervention for anxiety in veteran primary care: Development, provider feedback, and open trial. Psychol Serv. 2023 Aug; 20(3):622-635. PMID: 35099230.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 9/23/2021
Moitra E, Stein MD, Busch AM, Pinkston MM, Abrantes AM, Baker JV, Weisberg RB, Anderson BJ, Uebelacker LA. Acceptance of chronic pain in depressed patients with HIV: correlations with activity, functioning, and emotional distress. AIDS Care. 2022 Oct; 34(10):1338-1346. PMID: 34554879.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 2/25/2021
Weisberg RB, Gonsalves MA, Ramadurai R, Braham H, Fuchs C, Beard C. Development of a cognitive bias modification intervention for anxiety disorders in primary care. Br J Clin Psychol. 2022 Jan; 61 Suppl 1:73-92. PMID: 33629751.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 12/3/2020
Livingston NA, Ameral V, Banducci AN, Weisberg RB. Unprecedented need and recommendations for harnessing data to guide future policy and practice for opioid use disorder treatment following COVID-19. J Subst Abuse Treat. 2021 03; 122:108222. PMID: 33303255.
Read at: PubMed
View 76 more publications: View full profile at BUMC