Your browser is too old! Please upgrade! Our content will be visible, but poorly formatted until you upgrade to IE 5 or Netscape 6.

UF Psychiatry Home
Skip to main content.
More related sites: Directories: Faculty | Post-Docs | Residents | Staff

UF Department of Psychiatry

Navigation: Patient Services | Education | Research | Newsletters | Grand Rounds | About Us


Psychiatry Home Faculty Directory Staff Directory
Robert N. Averbuch, MD Alan J. Barnes, MD Lewis R. Baxter, MD Adriaan W. Bruijnzeel, PhD Regina Bussing, MD Josepha A. Cheong, MD Wayne L. Creelman, MD Douglas Davies, MD Gary R. Geffken, PhD Mark S. Gold, MD William M. Greene, MD Susan Hill, MSN, ARNP Jon Hodgin, MD Richard Holbert, MD Jacqueline A. Hobbs, MD, PhD Michelle Jacobs, MD Mark H. Lewis, PhD Yijun Liu, PhD Daniel Logan, MD Ross A. McElroy, Jr., MD Lisa J. Merlo, PhD Sylvia P. Montesinos, MD Drake Morgan, PhD Matthew L. Nguyen, MD Andrew K. Ottens, PhD John M. Petitto, MD Teresa A. Pigott, MD Krestin A. Radonovich, PhD Jerzy Szlabowicz, MD, PhD Scott A. Teitelbaum, MD Herbert E. Ward, MD Tonia Werner, MD Kimberly White, MD

Lisa J. Merlo

Lisa J. Merlo, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Dr.

Dr. Merlo is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Florida. She joined the Faculty of the Department of Psychiatry in 2007. Dr. Merlo is a licensed clinical psychologist and currently serves as the head of the Addiction Medicine Public Health Research Group. Dr. Merlo’s research interests are in the areas of addiction medicine and anxiety disorders. Her teaching relates to psychological assessment and intervention as well as general patient care. Clinically, Dr. Merlo specializes in cognitive-behavioral therapy and motivational interviewing treatments, particularly with children and adolescents. Dr. Merlo earned her B.A. from Transylvania University in 2000, with degrees in Psychology, Spanish, and Drama. She earned her M.A. (2002) and Ph.D. (2005) in Clinical Psychology from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. Dr. Merlo completed her clinical internship in clinical child/pediatric psychology in the University of Florida Department of Clinical & Health Psychology and completed postdoctoral training in the University of Florida Department of Psychiatry (Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry).

Research and Scholarly Interests

Dr. Merlo’s primary research focus is on psychosocial factors related to addiction. She is particularly interested in binge drinking and drug use among college students and adolescents, the phenomenology/nosology of various addictions, substance use disorders in medical professionals, improving awareness and education related to the disease of addiction, and motivational and cognitive-behavioral interventions for behavior change. Dr. Merlo collaborates with researchers in Emergency Medicine, Public Health, Epidemiology, Advertising, Anesthesiology, Psychiatry, and Neuroscience. She also coordinates the developing research collaboration between the UF Division of Addiction Medicine and the Stewart-Marchman Centers for Chemical Independence on Florida’s Atlantic coast.

Representative current studies examine drinking and related consequences on college football game days, psychosocial factors associated with adolescent addiction and treatment outcome, trends in drug-related deaths in the State of Florida, food addiction in adult and pediatric patients suffering from obesity, neuroimaging studies involving patients undergoing bariatric surgery, an intervention to improve medical student competence regarding secondhand smoke-related conditions, comparison of psychosocial characteristics associated with various compulsive and addictive disorders, and an exploration of the concept of “cell phone addiction.”

Dr. Merlo also maintains a strong interest in anxiety disorders, particularly obsessive-compulsive disorder. She continues to collaborate with colleagues in the UF OCD Program (e.g., Drs. Storch, Geffken, Murphy, and Goodman) on research related to treatment outcome and psychosocial functioning among patients with these disorders.

Dr. Merlo is funded by grants from the Flight Attendant’s Medical Research Institute and a State of Florida grant supporting research at the Stewart-Marchman Centers for Chemical Independence. She also serves as a consultant for research supported by a grant from the Michigan Department of Community Health.

Educational Interests and Accomplishments

Dr. Merlo serves as a medical student instructor for Essentials of Patient Care I & II, Interdisciplinary Family Health, and Human Behavior. She also gives lectures for medical students completing their required Psychiatry rotation. Dr. Merlo teaches resident/fellow seminars in Introductory Psychotherapy, Interpersonal Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Psychological Assessment, and Therapeutic Interventions for Children and Adolescents. Dr. Merlo is involved in undergraduate education through contributions to online courses and the Junior Honors Seminar in Neuroscience. She also serves as a research mentor to numerous undergraduate students.

Leadership And Service

Dr. Merlo has been involved in advocacy efforts for mental health parity and has assisted with the Gainesville Law Enforcement “Project Safe Kids” training program. She is involved with campus promotion of Mental Illness Awareness Week and collaborates with the Area Health Education Center regarding tobacco education. Dr. Merlo is a member of several scientific and professional societies, and serves as a reviewer for various academic journals in psychology and psychiatry.

Selected Publications (since 2005)

Merlo, L.J., Storch, E.A., Geffken, G., Murphy, T.K. (2005). Assessment of pediatric OCD: A critical review of current methodology. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 36, 195-214.

Lewin, A., Storch, E.A., Merlo, L.J., Adkins, J.W., Murphy, T.K., Geffken, G.R. (2005). Intensive cognitive behavioral therapy for pediatric obsessive compulsive disorder: A treatment protocol for mental health providers. Psychological Services, 2, 91-104.

Merlo, L.J., Storch, E.A. (2006). Obsessive-compulsive disorder: Tools for recognizing its many expressions. Journal of Family Practice, 55, 217-222.

Storch, E.A. Merlo, L.J. (2006). Obsessive-compulsive disorder: Strategies for using CBT and pharmacotherapy. Journal of Family Practice, 55, 329-333.

Storch, E. A., Murphy, T. K., Geffken, G. R., Mann, G., Adkins, J., Merlo, L. J., Duke, D., Munson, M., Swaine, Z., Goodman, W. K. (2006). Cognitive-behavioral therapy for PANDAS related obsessive-compulsive disorder: Findings from a preliminary wait-list controlled open trial. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 45, 1171-1178.

Merlo, L.J., Bowman, M. Barnett, D. (2007). Parental nurturance promotes reading achievement in low SES children. Early Education and Development, 18, 51-69.

Heidgerken, A.D., Merlo, L.J., Williams, L.B., Lewin, A.B., Gelfand, K., Malasanos, T., Silverstein, J.H., Storch, E.A., Geffken, G.R. (2007). Diabetes Awareness and Reasoning Test: A preliminary analysis of development and psychometrics. Children’s Health Care, 36, 117-136.

Merlo, L.J. Lakey, B. (2007). Trait and social Influences in the links among adolescent attachment, coping, and depressive symptoms. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 36, 195-206.

Storch, E.A., Merlo, L.J., Larson, M.J., Fernandez, M., Jacob, M.L., Geffken, G.R., Grabill, K., Murphy, T.K., Goodman, W.K. (2007). Family accommodation in pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 36, 207-216.

Storch, E.A., Merlo, L.J., Lack, C., Milsom, V., Geffken, G.R., Goodman, W.K., Murphy, T.K. (2007). Quality of life in youth with Tourette Syndrome and chronic tic disorder. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 36, 217-227

Storch, E. A., Geffken, G. R., Merlo, L. J., Mann, G., Duke, D., Munson, M., Adkins, J., Grabill, K., Murphy, T. K., Goodman, W. K. (2007). Family-based cognitive-behavioral therapy for pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder: Comparison of intensive and weekly approaches. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 46, 469-478.

Storch, E.A., Merlo, L.J., Bengtson, M., Murphy, T.K., Lewis, M.H., Yang, M.C., Jacob, M.L., Larson, M., Hirsh, A., Fernandez, M., Geffken, G.R., Goodman, W.K. (2007). D-Cycloserine does not enhance exposure-response prevention therapy in obsessive-compulsive disorder. International Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology, 22, 230-237.

Storch, E.A., Lack, C.W., Merlo, L.J., Geffken, G.R., Jacob, M.L., Murphy, T.K., Goodman, W.K. (2007). Clinical features of children and adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder and hoarding symptoms. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 48, 313-318.

Storch, E.A., Merlo, L.J., Lehmkuhl, H., Grabill, K. Geffken, G.R., Goodman, W.K., Murphy, T.K. (2007). Further psychometric examination of the Tourette Disorder Scales (TODS). Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 38, 89-98.

Grabill, K., Merlo, L.J., Duke, D., Harford, K. L., Keeley, M. L., Geffken, G. R., Storch, E.A. (in press). A critical analysis of methods for assessing obsessive-compulsive disorder. Journal of Anxiety Disorders.

Merlo, L.J. Gold, M.S. (in press). Elements of successful treatment programs for physicians with addictions. Psychiatric Times.

Keeley, M., Storch, E.A., Merlo, L.J., Geffken, G.R. (in press). Clinical predictors of response to cognitive-behavioral therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder. Clinical Psychology Review.

Storch, E.A., Lack, C., Merlo, L.J., Marien, W., Geffken, G.R., Grabill, K., Jacob, M.L., Murphy, T.L., Goodman, W.K. (in press). Associations between miscellaneous symptoms and symptom dimensions: An examination of pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder. Behavior Research Therapy.

Storch, E. A., Merlo, L. J., Larson, M., Marien, W. E., Geffken, G. R., Jacob, M. L., Goodman, W. K., Murphy, T. K. (in press). Clinical features associated with treatment resistant pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder. Comprehensive Psychiatry.

Merlo, L.J. Gold, M.S. (in press). Prescription opioid abuse and dependence among physicians: Treatment hypotheses. Harvard Review of Psychiatry.

Merlo, L.J., Collins, A., Bernstein, J. (in press). CUDCP-affiliated clinical psychology student views of their science training. Training Education in Professional Psychology.

Storch, E.A., Merlo, L.J., Larson, M.J., Geffken, G.R., Lehmkuhl, H.D., Jacob, M.L., Murphy, T.K., Goodman, W.K. (in press). The impact of comorbidity on cognitive-behavioral therapy response in pediatric obsessive compulsive disorder. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

Storch, E.A., Merlo, L.J., Larson, M., Bloss, C., Geffken, G.R., Jacob, M.L., Murphy, T.K., Goodman, W.K. (in press). Symptom dimensions and cognitive-behavioral therapy outcome for pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica.

Last updated on