Meet the Team

Daniel J. Taylor, PhD., is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Arizona, and a licensed psychologist board certified in both Sleep Medicine and Behavioral Sleep Medicine. He is an expert in cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTI) and the primary investigator of the grant that funded CBTIweb.org.

Allison K. Wilkerson, PhD., is a licensed clinical psychologist and Associate Professor in the Sleep and Anxiety Treatment and Research Program (SATRP) within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). Her research focuses primarily on evidence-based assessment and treatment for insomnia and other sleep disorders in children and adults with comorbid diagnoses, including substance use disorders and PTSD.

Kristi E. Pruiksma, PhD., DBSM is an Associate Professor at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. She is a licensed clinical psychologist board certified in Behavioral Sleep Medicine. She specializes in treatments for insomnia, nightmares, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with a focus on active duty military personnel.

Jessee R. Dietch, PhD, DBSM is an assistant professor of psychology at Oregon State University where she directs the Sleep Health Assessment, Intervention, and Dissemination (SHAID) lab. Her research focuses on behavioral sleep health interventions, sleep health disparities, and sleep health assessment.

Sophie Wardle-Pinkston, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist at the Southern Arizona VA Health Care System. Her research focuses on the dissemination and implementation of evidence based behavioral sleep medicine therapies.

Ken Ruggiero, PhD, a Licensed Clinical Psychologist, is a Professor of Nursing and Psychiatry at the Medical University of South Carolina, where he directs the Technology Applications Center for Healthful Lifestyles. His work focuses mainly on developing apps for health care providers and people who are affected by disasters and other major life events.

Dr. Bunnell is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of South Florida and a licensed psychologist in the state of Florida. His research focuses primarily on developing and evaluating health IT resources that improve access and quality of care of mental health services.

Dr. Alyssa Rheingold is a licensed clinical psychologist and Professor in the National Crime Victim's Research and Treatment Center (NCVC) within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Medical University of South Carolina. She is the Associate Director at the NCVC and faculty within the Sleep and Anxiety Treatment and Research Program. Her expertise includes evidence-based treatment of trauma related mental health issues, child sexual abuse prevention, anxiety disorders and traumatic grief. Dr. Rheingold has published over 100 peer reviewed articles and book chapters in the area of anxiety and trauma.

Dr. Melissa Milanak is a licensed clinical psychologist and Associate Professor in the Sleep & Anxiety Treatment & Research Program within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Medical University of South Carolina. Her research and clinical expertise includes anxiety, sleep disorders, stress, and trauma. She is also a clinical assessment advisor for Psychological Assessment Resources (PAR) helping organizations effectively utilize assessments to augment best practices, and founding of MIND Impact Consulting, LLC.

Rick Simmons, RPSGT, is the research coordinator and manager at the Research Sleep Center within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC).

William Brim, Psy.D. is the director of the DoD Center for Deployment Psychology (CDP) and an Associate Professor of Medical and Clinical Psychology at the Uniformed Services University. He is a fellowship trained expert in behavioral sleep medicine and lead CBT-I trainer at CDP providing training, consultation and supervision in behavioral sleep medicine.

Diana C. Dolan, PhD., CBSM, is a Senior Military Behavioral Health Psychologist at the Center for Deployment Psychology headquartered at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. She specializes in behavioral sleep medicine and clinical health psychology, and is a US Air Force Veteran.

Alan L. Peterson, PhD, ABPP, is a Professor and the Chief of the Division of Behavioral Medicine in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. He is the Director of the STRONG STAR Consortium and has extensive experience in trauma and sleep disorders in active duty military personnel. He has published 7 books, over 380 scientific manuscripts, and given over 600 presentations at national and international meetings. http://www.strongstar.org.

Charles M. Morin, PhD., is Professor of Psychology and Director of the Sleep Research Centre at Université Laval in Quebec City. He holds a Canada Research Chair on behavioral sleep medicine. Professor Morin has held several leadership positions in the field, including as past President of the World Sleep Society and member of the American Psychiatric Association work group revising sleep disorders diagnostic criteria for DSM-5. He is currently an Associate Editor for the journals SLEEP and for Behavioral Sleep Medicine and a member of the editorial board of several other journals. Professor Morin has published extensively on the topic of insomnia (8 books; > 300 articles and chapters) and his work has been instrumental in improving the standards of clinical care for individuals afflicted with insomnia.

Brittany Hall-Clark, PhD. is a licensed Clinical Psychologist, specializing in trauma recovery, military issues, insomnia, nightmares, anxiety, and multicultural diversity. She is an Assistant Professor at the University of Texas Health San Antonio, where she worked as a research therapist for 8 years and now currently focuses on culturally sensitive research in military families. She is also part of a private practice called Insight Psychology and Behavioral Health Services in Pflugerville, Texas.

Brooke A. Fina, LCSW, BCD, is an Associate Professor within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at UT Health San Antonio and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She is the Director of Behavioral Health Training Initiatives for the STRONG STAR Training Initiative, a national program dedicated to providing access to quality, evidence-based treatment to clinicians and organizations that service trauma exposed populations. She is a clinician, trainer, and facilitates the implementation of treatment programs for PTSD and suicide. She specializes in Prolonged Exposure (PE) as a trainer and consultant, and in Crisis Response Plan for suicide prevention. As a part of the leadership team of the Training Initiative, she is a subject matter expert in the training and implementation of trauma focused treatment programs. She has consulted with 100s of mental health providers and community organizations regarding the successful implementation of PTSD treatment programs, consulted with managed care entities, and published outcomes in peer-reviewed journals.

Marquisha R.G. Lee, PhD., ABPP, CBSM is a licensed staff psychologist at the Veteran Affairs North Texas Health Care System in Dallas. She specializes in health psychology and behavioral sleep medicine.

LaDonna C. Saxon, PhD. is an Associate Professor at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas and Chief of Psychology at the VA North Texas Health Care System. She specializes in clinical health psychology and has over fifteen years’ experience working with military Veterans. She is enthusiastic about training others in Motivational Interviewing and Cognitive Behavioral Treatments for Chronic Pain and Insomnia.

Jessica Jones is a valued member of CBTIweb’s administrative team, bringing a wealth of experience and a proactive approach to supporting daily operations. Known for her attention to detail and ability to handle multiple tasks, Jessica ensures smooth and efficient workflow. She takes pride in providing exceptional administrative support, contributing to the success of the team. Outside of work, she enjoys gardening and reading.