Academic Appointments:

Associate Professor, Psychology Department, Brooklyn College, City University of New York
Doctoral Faculty, Health Psychology and Clinical Science, Graduate Center, City University of New York

Degree(s):

Ph.D., Clinical and School Psychology, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY
M.A., Clinical and School Psychology, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY
M.A., Clinical Psychology, Teacher’s College, New York, NY
B.A., Psychology, University at Binghamton, SUNY, Binghamton, NY

Research Focus:

My research focuses on the assessment, interplay, and treatment of comorbid emotional and physical health conditions (e.g., cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, asthma). My long term goal is to enhance early identification of medical patients who are at increased risk for comorbid problems and worsen disease adjustment; elucidating the dynamic interplay between psychological and disease processes (e.g., inflammation); developing empirically validated, multidisciplinary treatments targeting both illness-specific and general psychiatric symptoms; and elucidate factors that promote resilience and posttraumatic growth.

Selected Publications:

Polokowski, A.R., Shakil, H., Carmichael, C.L., & Reigada, L.C. (2018). Omega-3 fatty acids and anxiety: A systematic review of the possible mechanisms at play. Nutritional Neuroscience, 43(4), 413-422.

Reigada, L.C., Moore, M. T., Martin, C. F., & Kappelman, M.D. (2018). Psychometric evaluation of the IBD-Specific Anxiety Scale: A novel measure of disease-related anxiety for adolescents with IBD. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 43(4), 413-422.

Bruzzese, J.M., Reigada, L. C., Fiorini, E. K., Wang, J., & Petkova, E. (2016). Association of youth and caregiver anxiety and asthma care among urban young adolescents. Academy of Pediatrics, 6(8), 792-798.

Reigada, L.C., Satpute, A., Hoogendoorn, C., J., Cohen, B. H., Bao, R., Lai, J., Benkov, K. J. (2016). Evidence for anxiety as a predictor of hospital-based gastrointestinal interventions in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease. Inflammatory Bowel Disease, 22(9), 2127-2133.

Reigada, L. C., Polokowski, A., Walder, D., Szigethy, E., Benkov, K. J., Bruzzese, J., & Masia Warner, C. (2015). Treatment for Comorbid Pediatric Gastrointestinal and Anxiety Disorders: A Pilot Study of a Flexible Health Sensitive CBT Program. Clinical Practice in Pediatric Psychology, 3(4), 134-326.

Reigada, L.C., Hoogendoorn, C., Walsch, L. C., Lai, J., Szigethy, E., Boa, K., & Benkov, K. J. (2015). Cross-sectional analysis of anxiety symptoms and disease severity in children and adolescents with Crohn’s disease. Pediatric Journal of Gastroenterology and Nutrition, 60(1), 30-35.

Patents:

None

Grants over the last 5 years:

Schwab Charitable                                                        Polokowski & Reigada (Co-PIs)                   2017-2019

Project Title: Diet, inflammation, gut microbiome and mental health. This study aims to examine the potential efficacy of a 12-week intervention of omega-3 supplementation, probiotic, or a combination of omega-3 and probiotic to reduce anxiety, depressive, and stress symptoms via the alteration of gut flora and inflammatory markers, compared to a placebo condition.

Role on Project:  Co-PI

Professional Staff Congress-CUNY                            Reigada (PI)                                                     2017-2018

Project Title: Precision medicine: Mixed-method, multi-stakeholder development of assessment tools for adolescents with chronic illness. This study developed and pilot tested a biopsychosocial risk assessment tool for adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) for use in pediatric medical settings.

Role on Project: PI