Research Interests

Dr. Anka Vujanovic is Professor and Director of Clinical Training in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Texas A&M University, and she is Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences in the Texas A&M School of Medicine. A licensed clinical psychologist, Dr. Vujanovic is Director of the Trauma and Stress Studies Center and the First Responder Consortium. She maintains a faculty appointment as Research Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Houston. Dr. Vujanovic received a doctoral degree (Ph.D.) in clinical psychology from the University of Vermont and completed the pre-doctoral clinical psychology internship program at the Brown University Clinical Psychology Training Consortium.

Dr. Vujanovic’s research program is focused on understanding the complexity of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and some of its most prevalent and high-risk correlates, including substance use disorders (SUD) and suicide risk, through the study of underlying psychological
mechanisms relevant to treatment development. Her work is comprised of interrelated lines of inquiry: (1) investigation of psychological and behavioral processes relevant to the etiology and maintenance of (a) PTSD symptoms and (b) PTSD/SUD; (2) examination of suicide risk among
trauma-exposed populations; and (3) development of theoretically and empirically driven, novel interventions for PTSD and co-occurring conditions that target the psychological mechanisms isolated in more basic research. She has utilized various methodological approaches, including
clinical trials, longitudinal methods, ecological momentary assessment, and experimental laboratory paradigms. Dr. Vujanovic’s studies have been conducted in academic clinical research centers, first responder departments, medical and mental health clinics, and acute-care psychiatric inpatient hospitals. Her work encompasses populations exposed to diverse types of trauma, including sexual trauma survivors, military veterans, first responders, and human trafficking survivors. Dr. Vujanovic has received research funding from the National Institutes of Health and private foundations. Dr. Vujanovic is an Associate Editor for the European Journal of Psychotraumatology, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and Mindfulness, and she serves on the editorial boards of seven additional journals. Dr. Vujanovic has authored over 220 publications, including journal articles, books, and book chapters.

Recent Publications

Vujanovic, A. A., Back, S. E., Leonard, S. J., Zoller, L., Kaysen, D. L., Norman, S. B., Flanagan, J. C., Schmitz, J. M., & Resick, P. (in press). Mental health clinician practices and perspectives on treating adults with co-occurring posttraumatic stress and substance use disorders. Journal of Dual Diagnosis.

Stanley, I. H., Lebeaut, A., Betz, M. E., Wright, A., & Vujanovic, A. A. (2023). Firearm ownership and storage practices among US firefighters and emergency medical services personnel. Psychological Services. doi: 10.1037/ser0000780

Brooks Stephens, J. R., Lebeaut, A., Jewell, R. D., Zegel, M., Walker, R. L., & Vujanovic, A. A. (2023). Living in the present moment: The role of mindfulness in the association between impulsivity and suicidality among Black adults. Mindfulness. doi: 10.1007/s12671-023-02180-x

Vujanovic, A. A., Lebeaut, A., Zegel, M., & Buser, S. J. (2022). Mindful attention training workshop for firefighters: Design and methodology of a pilot randomized clinical trial. Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications, 27, 100905. doi: 10.1016/j.conctc.2022.100905

Zemestani, M., Mohammed, A. F., Ismail, A. A., & Vujanovic, A. A. (2022). A pilot randomized clinical of a novel, culturally adapted, trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral intervention for war-related PTSD in Iraqi women. Behavior Therapy, 53, 656-672. doi: 10.1016/j.beth.2022.01.009

Vujanovic, A. A., Webber, H., Wardle, M. C., Green, C. E., Lane, S. D., & Schmitz, J. M. (2022). Nonjudgmental acceptance: Associations with substance-related cue reactivity in adults with substance use disorders and posttraumatic stress. Addictive Behaviors, 126, 107211. doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2021.107211

Vujanovic, A. A., Gordon, M., Coverdale, J., & Nguyen, P. (2022). Applying telemental health services for adults experiencing human trafficking. Public Health Reports, 137, 17S-22S. doi: 10.1177/00333549221085243

Vujanovic, A. A., Webber, H., McGrew, S. J., Green, C. E., Lane, S. D., & Schmitz, J. M. (2022). Distress tolerance: Prospective associations with cognitive-behavioral therapy outcomes in adults with posttraumatic stress and substance use disorders. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, 51, 326-342. doi: 10.1080/16506073.2021.2007995

Vujanovic, A. A., McGrew, S. J., Walton, J. L., & Raines, A. M. (2022). Posttraumatic stress and substance use among military veterans: Associations with distress intolerance and anxiety sensitivity. Addictive Behaviors, 126, 107177. doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2021.107177

Vujanovic, A. A., & Tran, J. K. (2021). Providing psychological services to firefighters. Journal of Health Service Psychology, 47, 137-148. doi: 10.1007/s42843-021-00041-6