Current Postdocs: 2022-23 Academic Year

Addiction Psychology

Jairo L. Arce-Morales, PhD

Graduate of: Albizu University, San Juan

Jairo L. Arce-Morales (He/Him) is a clinical psychologist with a concentration in health psychology. His degree was conferred at the Albizu University in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Jairo's passion is anything Health Psychology. His clinical interests are in increasing behavioral health services in primary care clinics, working under a biopsychosocial framework, improving strategies for behavioral management of chronic pain, and expanding access to substance use disorder treatment. He has provided mental health services in general hospitals, primary care clinics, community mental health clinics, and emergency shelters after natural disasters. He aims to help the people he serves to increase their functionality and achieve their life goals by delivering services in Spanish and English using interventions related to Motivational Interviewing, CBT, ACT, Behavioral Activation, and Solution-Focused Brief Therapy . His research focuses on what makes an intervention more effective, with a particular emphasis during his dissertation in understanding how multimorbidity and opioid use affects the functionality of patients with chronic pain. When he is not reading, he's baking bread or cooking new recipes.

Ambulatory Consults Urgent Treatment & Evaluations (ACUTE)/CL Psychiatry

Kahlil C. DuPerry, PhD

Graduate of: Boston College, Massachusetts

Kahlil obtained his PhD from the Counseling Psychology program at Boston College. His clinical experience ranges from working with college students to veterans to those with co-occurring major mental illness and problematic sexual behaviors. His practice is largely integrative of Psychodynamic and Cognitive Behavioral theories, along with a critically conscious systems and a patient-centered focus. Kahlil's research interests center around matters of race, ethnicity, and culture with his dissertation focusing on men of color and their experiences with gendered racism.

Eating Disorders Program at Montefiore (EDPM) / Adolescent Dialectical Behavior Therapy (A-DBT)

Maria Alba, PsyD

Graduate of: Rutgers University, Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology (GSAPP), New Jersey

Maria C. Alba, Psy.D. received her doctorate in clinical psychology from the Graduate School of Applied & Professional Psychology (GSAPP) at Rutgers University. At Rutgers, Maria received advanced training in comprehensive Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) for adults and adolescents (DBT-A) under the mentorship of Dr. Shireen Rizvi. Maria's dissertation research was inspired by her training at the Foster Care Counseling Project where she provided trauma treatment in Spanish and English to youth and their caregivers. During her predoctoral internship at Montefiore Medical Center, Maria continued to receive training in CBT and DBT for a wide range of clinical presentations. On internship, Maria rotated with the Transplant Surgery Program; the OnTrackNY team treating young adults with early psychosis; and the Supporting Healthy Relationships program providing couples therapy. Under the mentorship of Dr. Sandra Pimentel, Maria conducted an initial pilot study on SuperKids, an interactive comic book that integrates cognitive-behavioral and acceptance-based skills for youth in hospital-based and community mental health settings.

Psychosomatic Medicine

Cristin Pontillo-Michel, PsyD

Graduate of: Kean University, New Jersey

Cristin received her doctorate from Kean University’s PsyD program in Combined School and Clinical Psychology. She is fluent in Spanish and her primary interests include working with older adults experiencing co-occurring medical conditions. Cristin has experience working across a broad range of settings and with diverse patient populations. Her theoretical orientation can be described as integrative, incorporating elements of both Psychodynamic Theory and Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT). Cristin draws on her background as a certified yoga instructor and her clinician training in ACT to integrate mindfulness into her psychotherapeutic treatment approaches. Her dissertation efforts have focused on the creation and implementation of a chair yoga and mindfulness-based protocol for the treatment of depression in adults with Aphasia. Cristin understands that every individual is unique and prides herself on tailoring her approach to psychotherapy in a way that recognizes and honors those differences in her clients.

Trauma Healing and Resilience in Vulnerable Environments (THRIVE)

Now accepting applications for 2023-24 training year!

Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences