Center for Behavioral Health Research and Training
UCF School of Social Work
The Center for Behavioral Health Research and Training (CBHRT) was established in 2017 as the first center within the School of Social work focused on promoting interdisciplinary research and training in health and behavioral health.
Our Mission:
To expand expertise and scientific discovery in evidence-based prevention programs and strategies, with the goal of improving clinical practices and behavioral health outcomes for local, national, and global communities.
Our Vision:
To foster interdisciplinary collaborative partnerships to address a broad range of complex behavioral health problems and health disparities while creating cutting-edge and innovative solutions for improving the health and well-being of diverse populations.
CBHRT Services
The CBHRT has various experts available to facilitate research collaborations and promote behavioral health training.
Sully the Robotic Seal:
Please give a warm welcome to Sully, our new PARO therapeutic baby harp seal robot! Sully is an interactive social robot that is used to simulate social interactions with users. He is currently aiding the CBHRT in their research for “Assessing the Impact of PARO on Mental Health Outcomes in Older Adults.” This innovative technology has been shown to help lower stress, anxiety, pain and depression, and can be beneficial for a number of other mental health issues.
Looking for a helping flipper to aid in your next behavioral health research project? Sully and the Center would love to collaborate with you! If you think Sully would be a good fit for an upcoming project and would like the chance to meet him in person, please fill out the form below.
Center RA’s Available for Assignments:
The CBHRT currently has 4 research assistants (RA) ready and eager to aid CHPS faculty. These students are available to help faculty with research-related tasks, such as conducting literature reviews, collecting data, data analysis, and assisting with grant applications and publications. Each RA can work up to 10 hours a week for a duration of 6-8 weeks per faculty member. Extensions may be granted given a new request and justification is submitted. If you are in need of an RA, please fill out the form below.
Commitment to Improving Research
Our expert faculty’s research serves the community by providing training and research through the CBHRT on a variety of health and behavioral health topics aligned with Florida’s State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP).
Research Expertise
Faculty have expertise on a broad range of health and behavioral health topics:
e.g., health equity, education access/quality, health care access/quality
e.g., adolescent & young adult, refugees, military veterans, suicide
e.g., intimate partner violence, human trafficking, child injury, adverse childhood experiences, suicide
e.g., Alzheimer’s Disease, Related Dementias, and Other Aging Issues
e.g., diabetes, cancer, obesity
e.g., COVID
e.g., nutrition, physical activity
e.g., animal-assisted therapies, fit-bit, Dr. Hologram
e.g., Black Deaf Feminism, LGBTQ+, etc.
Active Funded Research Projects
Implementation and Evaluation of Zero Suicide, in partnership with the Statewide Office of Suicide Prevention, Department of Health, SAMH, Florida Behavioral Health Association and other state-level departments and BH providers throughout FL (5-year, $3.5 million SAMHSA-funded LEADS project)
SEED Grants to Fuel Interdisciplinary Research
With the dual goals of fueling scientific discovery and expanding professional expertise, the CBHRT awards interdisciplinary teams competitive stipends to conduct pilot research projects that seek to address emerging behavioral health topics.
Priority will be given to proposals that demonstrate a clear plan and shows the potential for pilot data to be harnessed into large-scale studies.
Applications are reviewed once a year, interdisciplinary teams are encouraged to apply!
2024-2025 SEED Grant Recipients:
Implementation of the Internet Delivery of the Enhanced Assess, Acknowledge, Act (IDEA3) Program to Prevent Campus Sexual Assault
Principal Investigator:
Leanna Papp, PhD
Co-Investigators:
Bethany Backes, PhD, MSW, MPH
Hsiu-Fen Lin, PhD, MSW
Project Period:
12/01/2024 – 12/01/2025
Awarded Amount:
$5,000
Exploring Differential Reactions to Robotic Pet SEAL: Cognitive and Cultural Influences Among Older Adults
Principal Investigator:
Kenan Sualp, PhD, MSW
Co-Investigators:
Ayse Malatyali, PhD, MBA, RN
Rebecca Koszalinski, PhD, MS, RN
Project Period:
12/01/2024 – 12/01/2025
Awarded Amount:
$5,000
Community Grants
One of the CBHRT’s initiatives is a community-connected program that seeks to support research primarily in the behavioral health field. Through this program, the CBHRT will provide funding for faculty members to collaborate with community agencies on program development or evaluation initiatives, with the potential for these projects to serve as a foundation for larger grants in the future.
Exploring Generational Perspectives on Discrimination, Resilience, and Well-Being in the Taiwanese American Community of Orlando: A Qualitative Approach
Principal Investigator:
Yen-Han Lee, M.P.H., Ph.D.
Co-Investigators:
Shuang Lu, Ph.D., M.S.W.
Project Period:
01/20/2025 – 06/30/2026
Awarded Amount:
$15,000
Impact of Nutrition and Health Education for Black and Hispanic Caregivers of Preschool Children
Principal Investigator:
Shanté Jeune, PhD, RDN, LDN
Co-Investigators:
A’Naja Newsome, PhD, NBC-HWC; Joanna Mackie, Ph.D
Project Period:
08/13/2025 – 01/31/2027
Awarded Amount:
$15,000
Summer Grant Writing Initiative:
In the summer of 2024, the Center for Behavioral Health Research and Training offered two summer salary stipends for $5,000 each to 9-month faculty seeking to devote a portion of their “Summer A” FTE to writing and submitting an external grant proposal. These stipends were offered to incentivize researchers to collaborate with one another across the College of Health Professions and Sciences to advance behavioral health research. Priority was given to faculty members with scholarly and funding profiles indicating high likelihood of success in securing external funding.
- Awardee: Xiaochuan Wang, Ph.D., MSW
Grant Title: PAR-23-111 from NIMHD Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Program (R21 – Clinical Trial Optional) - Awardees: Asli Cennet Yalim, Ph.D., MSW; & Shuang Lu, Ph.D., MSW
Grant Title: Efficacy of the Trauma-Informed Education for Refugee Students (TIERS) Program: A Youth-Centered Approach
Collaborate and Get Involved in Innovative Research!
Interdisciplinary collaboration is key to research! That’s why our Research Assistants (RAs) and Graduate Research Assistants (GRAs) come from different health and behavioral health course of studies.
RAs and GRAs support faculty with research-related tasks, like data-collection, input, etc. all while gaining valuable research experience.
Are you interested in becoming an RA or GRA? Or are you faculty who needs assistance with research?
Request a Service
The Center is a collaborative research space and is here to support faculty, students and community partners from a variety of disciplines to find synergies and advance behavioral and physical health.
We invite you to contact us and let us know how we can provide our services to help you toward your research goal!
Our Leaders
CBHRT Co-Directors
Kimberley Gryglewicz, Ph.D., MSW
Susanny Beltran, Ph.D., MSW
CBHRT Staff
