Hello colleagues,
Below is a candidate statement from Dr. Thema Bryan-Davis, who is running for President of APA. Division 28 has agreed to send this statement to our membership, but please note that our sharing this should not serve as an implicit endorsement of her candidacy by the Div28 executive board. (As a reminder, our long-standing Div28 policy is that we do not outright endorse candidates, instead we will send an email later this year notifying you which candidates' mission statements most closely align with the mission of Div28). More information about the election and additional candidates can be found here: https://www.apa.org/about/governance/elections
Warm regards, Kelly
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Thema Bryant-Davis, PhD, APA President-Elect Candidate
My name is Thema Bryant-Davis and I am running to be the next APA President-elect. I will share in this statement why my candidacy aligns well with the efforts of Division 28 members on behalf of the science of psychopharmacology and substance abuse. All of my involvement in APA has shaped my proposed presidential platform: Thriving in a Post-Pandemic World: Applying Psychological Science to Enhance People's Lives. My evidence-based keys to thriving include: (1) addressing trauma and loss; (2) utilizing holistic therapies that integrate the body, spirituality, and culture; (3) addressing inequities and injustice; (4) rebuilding community; and (5) integrating the expressive arts. This trauma-informed platform is consistent with the priorities of Division 28 given the bi-directional relationship between trauma and substance abuse in that substance abuse increases the risk for interpersonal trauma and trauma survivors are at increased risk for substance abuse as a means of coping with distress. Further alignment between my platform and Division 28 can be seen in the integral role that psychopharmacology plays in the integrative treatment of many trauma survivors. I have appreciation for the research, practice, education, and consultation work of Division 28 members in these critical areas and hope to have your support as we engage collectively in not only revitalizing APA as an organization but helping our communities to recover and hopefully thrive.
Let me share a bit about my background. I completed my doctorate in Clinical Psychology at Duke University and post-doctoral training at Harvard Medical Center's Victims of Violence Program. I have been a faculty member at Lesley University and California State University, Long Beach. Currently, I am a tenured professor of psychology in the Graduate School of Education and Psychology at Pepperdine University where I direct the Culture and Trauma Research Laboratory which examines the effects and recovery process of trauma survivors including the realities of substance abuse.
My clinical and research interests center on interpersonal trauma and the societal trauma of oppression. I have seen in my practice and research studies that many survivors of interpersonal, medical, and societal trauma have benefited from psychopharmacological support. Numerous survivors have also become dependent on substances in attempt to medicate the emotional pain of untreated trauma and unaddressed injustice. The central priorities of Division 28 align highly with my work around trauma and recovery. I provide training nationally and internationally on trauma recovery for marginalized communities. I am committed to raising public awareness regarding mental health by extending the reach of psychology beyond the academy and private therapy office through community programming and media engagement, including but not limited to Headline News, National Public Radio, and CNN.
I believe APA is an organization that can further extend psychology's reach to our communities and society more broadly. This is why I have had such a longstanding involvement with APA. This
In these challenging times, my background in trauma psychology and multicultural psychology are valuable assets that can mobilize the revitalization of our organization and extend our reach in helping our communities heal and thrive.
Kelly Dunn, Ph.D., M.B.A.
Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
5510 Nathan Shock Drive
Baltimore, MD 21224
P:410-550-2254; F:410-550-0030
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