Research interests
Throughout my doctoral training, my research interests have focused on children’s social-emotional development, social-emotional learning (SEL), school readiness, and prevention efforts aimed at reducing later mental and physical health problems. My research serves to better understand how early intervention can influence the healthy childhood and adolescent development of youth’s social and emotional competencies, especially in contexts of rural poverty and early adversity.
I also have experience providing evidence-based assessment and psychotherapy services in a community mental health clinic at Penn State, in the State College Area School District, at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, and in the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center inpatient and outpatient pediatric and gastroenterology departments; my clinical experiences, along with the rapidly increasing need for mental health services in childhood and adolescence, have served to inform my research interests in universal prevention.
During this postdoctoral fellowship, my anticipated projects involve translating school-based SEL content to be delivered to parents and children in pediatric primary care settings as part of a larger effort to increase SEL access and literacy among rural and underserved populations. This work will examine feasibility and acceptability of the intervention content, and modes of intervention delivery, and intervention effectiveness. I also plan to work with pediatric residents and providers to collaboratively design and implement provider-focused SEL materials that best address the current need and capacity for integrating SEL content knowledge and strategies.
Through completing this fellowship, I hope to launch an academic career in clinical psychology continuing my emerging program of research focusing on SEL-focused prevention efforts within a public health framework.
I enjoy spending time with my wife and children, hiking and being outside together, playing guitar, and playing sports—especially as my daughter begins her foray into the world of toddler “soccer”!
Publications
Craig, J. T., Moore, C., Barnett, E., Knight-Zhang, E., Sanders, M. T., Bresland, N., & Jankowski, M. K. (Revise and resubmit, Journal of Child and Family Studies). The feasibility and acceptability of delivering a brief telehealth behavioral parent training in pediatric primary care.
Bierman, K. L., & Sanders, M. T. (2021). Teaching explicit social-emotional skills with contextual supports for students with intensive intervention needs. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 29(1), 14-23.
Sanders, M. T., Welsh, J. A., Bierman, K. L., & Heinrichs, B. S. (2020). Promoting resilience: A preschool intervention enhances the adolescent adjustment of children exposed to early adversity. School Psychology, 35(5), 285–298.
Bierman, K.L, Sanders, M.T., & Ho, L.C. (2020). Addressing socioeconomic disparities in school readiness with preschool programming and professional development support. In V. Alfonso & G. DuPaul (Eds.) Promoting healthy growth and development in young children: Bridging the science-practice gap in educational settings (pp. 67-84). American Psychological Association.