The National Social Anxiety Center (NSAC) conducted this one-hour clinical education webinar on August 21, 2026. This presentation provides an overview of Alexandra (Allie) Adamis’ dissertation research centered on the role of cognitive mechanisms (eg. attentional biases, cognitive control and repetitive negative thinking) in the etiology and maintenance of social anxiety and related disorders. Allie’s program of research ultimately aims to identify cognitive vulnerabilities with potent causal effects on clinical anxiety to inform novel treatment targets and approaches.
Allie Adamis is a fourth-year Clinical Psychology PhD student at Vanderbilt University. Her dissertation research, supported by the National Institute of Mental Health, has specifically focused on elucidating dysfunctions in the attentional system that contribute to social anxiety. Her research has adopted experimental, longitudinal, and cross-sectional designs, and has examined outcomes across multiple levels of analysis (eg. behavioral, physiological, subjective report).
An interview with Allie was previously featured in our graduate student spotlight.
NOTICE: Our workshops and webinars are offered as an educational resource for mental health professionals who are already familiar with cognitive and behavioral therapies. These resources alone do not suffice as adequate training to conduct cognitive and behavioral therapies for those with social anxiety and related problems.