FEATURED TRAINEE - MATTINA DAVENPORT, MA

HOW DID YOU GET INTERESTED IN BSM?

During a summer externship experience within the Neurobehavioral Unit at the Kennedy Krieger Institute, I began treating clients with various developmental and behavioral concerns, including sleep difficulties. Through the exposure and training I received at Johns Hopkins University, I learned that I had a budding clinical passion and research interest in the field of Behavioral Sleep Medicine. I then had the wonderful opportunity to learn and implement CBT-I in the MizZzou Sleep Research Lab, and quickly witnessed firsthand the effectiveness of the treatment modality. I have an emerging interest in culturally tailored CBT-I approaches, sleep disparities, and the treatment of sleep and pain in pediatric populations of children with chronic health conditions.

WHO ARE YOUR BSM MENTORS?

My primary mentor in behavioral sleep medicine is Dr. Christina McCrae from the University Of Missouri School Of Medicine. She has been an exceptional mentor and sponsor, and has gone above and beyond in ensuring that I reach my goals of becoming a clinical researcher who is capable of working with a variety of sleep disordered child and adult populations (e.g., Fibromyalgia, Chronic Pain, and Autism Spectrum Disorder). I also want to recognize the mentorship of Dr. Micah Mazurek at The University of Virginia, who has co-mentored me in the intersection of ASD, Anxiety, and Sleep.

WHAT ARE YOUR CAREER GOALS?

I plan to become a board certified BSM provider and licensed child and adolescent psychologist. I would like to provide comprehensive and specialized BSM intervention and consultation services within a integrated psychology clinic and research lab. Dr. McCrae has further solidified my desire to become a clinical researcher and mentor, with a research lab focused on understanding the behavioral, social cultural, environmental, and neurobiological mechanisms underlying chronic health conditions related pain and insomnia in pediatric populations. I have a passion for improving the healthcare utilization of specialized BSM services and increasing public education/awareness!

WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE THE FIELD OF BSM IN 10 YEARS?

I would love to see BSM services being better utilized in diverse racial/ethnic populations. In addition, I look forward to the increased availability and public visibility of BSM doctoral training programs, as the field increases exponentially in certified health providers and researchers!

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITY THINGS TO DO AWAY FROM THE OFFICE?

I enjoy watching my younger brother play college football (both on TV and in person; Go Stanford Cardinals!), cooking/baking, hiking, attending vocal lessons, and visiting museums and art galleries across the US on road trips.