PTSD: National Center for PTSD

Elizabeth (Liza) Alpert, PhD

Researcher/Investigator

Women's Health Sciences Division

Email: Elizabeth.Alpert@va.gov

Academic Appointment

• Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry

Education

• University of Delaware, Clinical Psychology, MA and PhD
• Haverford College, Psychology, BA

Expertise and Interests

• PTSD treatment outcomes and strategies for improving outcomes
• PTSD treatment mechanisms
• Processes of engagement and treatment completion vs. early discontinuation
• Patient-provider communication

Featured Publications

Alpert, E., Gowdy-Jaehnig, A., Galovski, T. E., Meis, L. A., Polusny, M. A., Ackland, P. E., Spoont, M., Valenstein-Mah, H., Orazem, R. J., Schnurr, P. P., Chard, K. M., & Kehle-Forbes, S. M. (2024). Treatment-related beliefs and reactions among trauma-focused therapy completers and discontinuers: A qualitative examination. Psychological Services 21(4), 859-870. https://doi.org/10.1037/ser0000831 PTSDpubs id1629263 (PDF)

Alpert, E., Shotwell Tabke, C., Cole, T. A., Lee, D. J., & Sloan, D. M. (2023). A systematic review of literature examining mediators and mechanisms of change in empirically supported treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder. Clinical Psychology Review, 103, 102300. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2023.102300 PTSDpubs id1622359 (PDF)

Alpert, E., Carpenter, J. K., Smith, B. N., Woolley, M. G., Raterman, C., Farmer, C. C., Kehle-Forbes, S. M., & Galovski, T. E. (2023). Leveraging observational data to identify in-session patient and therapist predictors of cognitive processing therapy response and completion. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 36(2), 397-408. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.22924 PTSDpubs id1619787 (PDF)

Alpert, E., Hayes, A. M., & Foa, E. B. (2023). Examining emotional processing theory and predictors of outcome in prolonged exposure for PTSD. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 167, 104341. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2023.104341 PTSDpubs id1622973 (PDF)

Alpert, E., Hayes, A. M., Ben Barnes, J., & Sloan, D. M. (2022). Using client narratives to identify predictors of outcome in written exposure therapy and cognitive processing therapy. Behavior Therapy, 52(2), 185-199. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2022.09.002 PTSDpubs id1616969 (PDF)

Find a full list of my publications on NIH.

Key Projects

My K award, funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, focuses on refining and evaluating an adjunctive intervention, designed to improve PTSD treatment outcomes by improving patient-provider communication about patients' experiences during treatment.

Awards and Honors

• Graduate College Professional Development Award, University of Delaware, 2018
• Evelyn M. Fiorito Travel Award, University of Delaware, 2019

Members of the press interested in scheduling an interview please see the contact for the media page.