Department of Psychology
PAS building, room 3020
Tel 519-888-4567 Ext. 42813
Fax (519) 746-8631
Email psych@uwaterloo.ca
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2006-2016 Canada Research Chair in Mental Health Research (Tier-II)
BSc (University of Toronto), MA, PhD (Boston University)
Centre for Mental Health Research and Treatment (CMHRT)
My research is geared toward answering theory-driven questions about the nature and treatment of social anxiety. Studies in my lab seek to identify and understand how social anxiety affects people’s psychological, behavioural, and emotional responses to social stress and reward within interpersonal contexts. Our work is guided by clinical models of social anxiety disorder and geared toward developing and disseminating more effective psychological interventions. Current research questions include:
Much of our work is guided by the theoretical model detailed in the following paper:
Here is my complete publication list (PDF) updated in September, 2020. Please check Google Scholar for article abstracts. You may email me at dmosco@uwaterloo.ca to request copies of any paper.
In 2009, my colleague Dr. Christine Purdon and I founded the Anxiety Studies Division (ASD) at the Centre for Mental Health Research and Treatment (CMHRT). The ASD consists of University of Waterloo Clinical Psychology faculty members and graduate students whose research is dedicated to investigating the nature and treatment of anxiety and its disorders. The primary function of the ASD is to develop and maintain a pool of valued members from the surrounding community with and without anxiety problems who are willing to participate in our research studies. For more information about the ASD and its faculty and students, please visit the ASD website.
The ASD research model is detailed in the following paper:
My lab is typically comprised of several students in our clinical psychology graduate training program, one or two undergraduate honours thesis students, a number of research assistants and volunteers and, occasionally, a postdoctoral fellow. Lab research has been generously funded by the Canada Research Chairs Program, the Canadian Institutes for Health Research, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, the National Medical Research Council of Australia, the Templeton Foundation, the Ontario Mental Health Foundation, the Canadian Foundation for Innovation, and the Ontario Research Fund. The physical space of the lab is generous and includes an array of specialized facilities, resources, and work spaces that can be accessed by trainees engaged in research at all levels. Students are supported in their acquisition of fundamental knowledge and technical skills within a stimulating and collaborative learning environment.
At the undergraduate level, I teach Psychopathology (Psych 257), which provides an introductory overview to the field of abnormal psychology. At the graduate level, I have most recently taught Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (Psych 725) and Ethics, Diversity, and Professional Issues in Clinical Psychology (Psych 719).
I am actively involved in the clinical supervision and training of graduate students in Clinical Psychology within our Centre for Mental Health Research and Treatment (CMHRT).
I am a registered clinical psychologist with the College of Psychologists of Ontario and maintain a small private practice. My specialization is in cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and I am certified as such by The Canadian Association of Cognitive and Behavioural Therapies.
Department of Psychology
PAS building, room 3020
Tel 519-888-4567 Ext. 42813
Fax (519) 746-8631
Email psych@uwaterloo.ca
The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land promised to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is centralized within our Indigenous Initiatives Office.