Lisa J Merlo, Ph.D., M.P.E.

Dr. Merlo is a licensed clinical psychologist and has completed postdoctoral fellowships in both clinical child/pediatric psychology and substance use disorder epidemiology and prevention. She currently serves as the Director of Wellness Programs for the UF College of Medicine and is active in the education of medical students, residents, and other health profession students. Dr. Merlo also serves as the Director of Research for the Professionals Resource Network, Inc. (the State monitoring program for distressed and impaired healthcare professionals). As a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT), Dr. Merlo collaborates with faculty from other colleges and universities, as well as the Area Health Education Centers across Florida, to provide training in motivational interviewing for health professions students, faculty members, tobacco cessation counselors, school personnel, and other healthcare providers.

Dr. Merlo’s primary research focuses on mental health, well-being, and professional fulfillment among physicians and other healthcare professionals and trainees. She serves as the Director of Research for the Professionals Resource Network (Florida’s impaired healthcare professional monitoring program) and serves as the Director of Wellness for the UF College of Medicine. Dr. Merlo also conducts research on health profession students’ knowledge, competence, and stigmatized beliefs related to patients with addiction, as well as best practices for improving addiction-related education. Given her expertise in clinical child/pediatric psychology, Dr. Merlo frequently collaborates with researchers across the university, as well as nationally, on projects involving motivational interviewing interventions to improve health and well-being across the lifespan.