The missions of the Florida Exposure and Anxiety Research (FEAR) Lab are:
- To enhance our understanding of factors that impact treatment outcome during cognitive-behavioral therapy for children and adults with OCD, anxiety, and related disorders
- To improve our understanding of what contributes to different presentations of individuals with OCD, anxiety, and related disorders
- To educate the next generation of scientists and clinicians in psychology, medicine, and other health-related fields in research that contributes to evidence-based practice
The principal investigator of the FEAR Lab is Joe McNamara, PhD. Dr. McNamara is also the co-director of the UF Health OCD Program, a clinical program that offers intensive and weekly cognitive-behavioral therapy with exposure and response prevention for patients with OCD and anxiety disorders. Many of our studies recruit participants from this real-world clinical program and tracks outcomes as they occur to provide ecologically valid research with immediate implications for improving the assessment and treatment of individuals with OCD and anxiety disorders.