About

Dr. Ryan-Pettes joined the Department of Psychological Sciences in July 2025. Her research focuses on advancing evidence-based interventions for adolescent substance use and conduct problems within real-world settings such as juvenile probation and community mental health systems. She is especially interested in the dissemination and implementation of treatments like Contingency Management and Multisystemic Therapy™, and in leveraging technology—including mHealth and AI—to improve outcomes for justice-involved youth and their families. Dr. Ryan-Pettes collaborates with probation departments, community clinics, and schools.

Dr. Ryan-Pettes brings a strong commitment to ethical, person-centered research with underserved populations. Her work integrates biopsychosocial models to understand treatment response variability and emphasizes culturally responsive methodologies. She has secured funding from NIH, SAMHSA, HRSA, and PCORI, and has published over 40 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters in top-tier journals.

Her current research is NIH/NIMH-funded and focuses on understanding therapist-family communication processes that influence treatment outcomes in community-based MST settings. Using observational coding and machine learning, she aims to identify patterns of alliance rupture and repair, as well as therapist communication strategies that predict caregiver engagement and treatment response. This work is designed to inform the development of enhanced training materials for MST therapists and improve implementation outcomes for minoritized and multi-stressed families.

Please visit her lab webpage to learn more about her current team and projects: coming soon!

Lab and Opportunities: Dr. Ryan-Pettes welcomes inquiries from undergraduate students interested in applied clinical research, especially those with interests in justice-involved youth, family-based interventions, and technology-enhanced treatment. If you are interested in joining her lab, please send her an email with the subject line “Lab Inquiry.”

Dr. Ryan-Pettes will be accepting a PhD student this upcoming academic year (2025-2026). Please note that due to the volume of requests, Dr. Ryan-Pettes is not always able to respond to inquiries, and this does not indicate a lack of interest in your application.