Sadia Najmi, Ph.D.

Publications

1. Najmi, S., Riemann, B., & Wegner, D. M. (in press). Managing unwanted intrusive thoughts in obsessive-compulsive disorder: Relative effectiveness of suppression, focused distraction, and acceptance. Behaviour Research and Therapy.

2. Amir, N., Najmi, S., Bomyea, J., & Burns, M.(in press). Disgust and anger in social anxiety. International Journal of Cognitive Therapy.

3. Najmi, S., & Wegner, D. M. (in press). Hidden complications of thought suppression. International Journal of Cognitive Therapy.

4. Reese, H. E., Najmi, S., & McNally, R. J. (inpress). Vulnerability to anxiety disorders in adulthood. In R. E. Ingram & J. M. Price (Eds.), Vulnerability to Psychopathology: Risk Across the Lifespan. New York: Guilford Press.

5. McNally, R. J., Malcarne, V. L., Najmi, S., Hansdottir, I., Reese, H. E., & Merz, E. L. (in press). Vulnerability to anxiety disorders across the lifespan. In R. E. Ingram & J. M. Price (Eds.), Vulnerability to Psychopathology: Risk Across the Lifespan. New York: Guilford Press.

6. Najmi, S., Bureau, J-F., Chen, D., & Lyons-Ruth, K. (in press). Maternal attitudinal inflexibility: Longitudinal relations with mother-infant disrupted interaction and childhood hostile-aggressive behavior problems. Child Abuse & Neglect.

7. Amir, N., Najmi, S., & Morrison, A. M. (2009). Attenuation of attention bias in obsessive-compulsive disorder. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 47, 153-157.

8. NajmiS., & Wegner D. M.(2008). Thought suppression and psychopathology. In Elliot, A. J (Ed.), Handbook of approach and avoidance motivation. New York: Psychology Press, pp. 447-459.

9. Najmi, S., & Wegner, D. M. (2008). The gravity of unwanted thoughts: Asymmetric priming effects in thought suppression. Consciousness and Cognition: An International Journal, 17, 114-124.

10. Najmi, S., Wegner, D. M., & Nock, M. K. (2007). Thought suppression and self-injurious thoughts and behaviors. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 45, 1957-1965.

11. Najmi, S., & Wegner, D. M. (2006). The United States of Repression. Commentary on Matthew Erdelyi's The unified theory of repression. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 29, 528-529.

12. Rottenberg, J. Gross, J. J, Wilhelm, F. H., Najmi, S., Gotlib, I. H.(2002). Crying threshold and intensity in major depressive disorder. Journal of Abnormal Psychology. 111, 302-312.

Conference Presentations

1. Morrison, A. S., Najmi, S., & Amir, N. (March, 2009). Attenuation of attention bias in obsessive-compulsive disorder. In C. Beard (Chair), Attention in Anxiety: Findings from Diverse Methodologies. Symposium conducted at the Twenty-ninth annual meeting of the Anxiety Disorders Association of America, Albuquerque, NM.

2. Najmi, S., Riemann, B.C., & Wegner, D. M. (May, 2007). How to respond to an unwanted intrusive thought in normal experience and in obsessive-compulsive disorder: The ills of suppression and the gains of some alternatives. In R. E. Schmidt (Chair), The Disobeying Mind: Unwanted intrusive thoughts in different disorders. Symposium conducted at the Nineteenth annual convention of the American Psychological Society, Washington, DC.
3. Najmi, S., Reese, H., Wilhelm, S., Fama, J., Beck, C., & Wegner, D. M. (2006, Nov). Learning the futility of the thought suppression enterprise. In D. C. Johnson (Chair), Thought suppression, cognitive avoidance, and issues for treatment of anxiety spectrum disorders. Symposium conducted at the Fortieth annual convention of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Chicago, IL.
4. Najmi, S., Wegner, D. M., & Nock, M. K. (2006, May). Suppressing aversive thoughts may increase self-injurious behaviors. In S. Nolen-Hoeksema (Chair), Differential effects of emotion regulation deficits on specific psychopathology symptoms. Symposium conducted at the Eighteenth annual convention of the American Psychological Society, NY.

Posters

1. Tobin, A., Najmi,S., Mayes, T., & Amir, N. (March, 2009). The effect of attention disengagement training on a behavioral test of contamination fears. Poster presented at the Twenty-ninth annual meeting of the Anxiety Disorders Association of America, Albuquerque, NM.

2. Cowden Hindash, A., Najmi, S., Amir, N. (March, 2009). Executive control of attention in obsessive compulsive disorder. Poster presented at the Twenty-ninth annual meeting of the Anxiety Disorders Association of America, Albuquerque, NM.

3. Thompson, K., Hindash, A. C., Barrett, C., Najmi, S., Sunshine-Hill, A., & Amir, N. (Nov, 2008). Comparing computer-based assessments of attention bias in obsessive-compulsive disorder. Poster presented at the Forty-second annual convention of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Orlando, FL.

4. Morrison, A. S., Tobin, A.C., Najmi, S., & Amir, N. (Nov, 2008). Attention allocation to idiographic threat information in individuals with obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Poster presented at the Forty-second annual convention of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Orlando, FL.

5. Najmi, S., Elias, J., Chasson, G. S., Egan-Stack, D., Stewart, E., & Jenike, M. (Aug, 2008). Is depression taxonic, dimensional, or both? A replication study with a severe OCD sample. Poster presented at the Fifteenth annual Obsessive Compulsive Foundation conference, Boston, MA.

6. Najmi, S., Riemann, B. C., & Wegner, D. M. (Nov, 2007). Managing unwanted, intrusive thoughts in OCD. Poster presented at the Forty-first annual convention of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Philadelphia, PA.

7. Najmi, S., Deveney, C. M., Elkin-Frankston, S., Kappust, L. R., Hollis, A. M., & O'Connor, M. (Feb, 2006). Neuropsychological predictors of on-road driving performance. Poster presented at the Thirty-fourth annual meeting of the International Neuropsychological Society, Boston, MA.

8. Najmi, S., Wegner, D. M., & Nock, M. K. (Nov, 2005). Thought suppression and cognitive hyper-accessibility: Consequences for information processing in normal experience and in the experience of self-mutilating adolescents. Poster presented at the Thirty-ninth annual convention of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Washington, DC.

9. Najmi, S., & Wegner, D. M. (May, 2005). From unwanted thought to idée fixe: Suppression impedes disengagement from unwanted thoughts. Poster presented at the Seventeenth Annual Convention of the American Psychological Society, Los Angeles, U.S.A.

10. Holmes, B.M., Manzoor, N., Najmi, S., & Lyons-Ruth, K. (April, 2005). Maternal hostile-distrustful relational attitude: A self-report assessment indicative of future mother/infant relational problems. Poster presented at the Biennial meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD), Atlanta, Georgia.

11. Najmi, S., Rottenberg, J., Wilhelm, F. H., & Gross, J. J., & Gotlib, H. (Oct, 2001). Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia in Panic Disorder: Evidence of task-specificity and relation to clinical outcome. Poster presented at the Forty-first annual meeting of the Society for Psychophysiological Research, Montreal, Canada.

12. Rottenberg, J., Najmi, S., Wilhelm, F. H., & Gross, J. J., & Gotlib, H. (Oct, 2000). Crying in depression. Poster presented at the Fortieth annual meeting of the Society for Psychophysiological Research, San Diego, U.S.A.

13. Rottenberg, J., Najmi, S., Wilhelm, F. H., & Gross, J. J., & Gotlib, H. (Oct, 2000). The psychophysiology of negative cognitive bias in depression. Poster presented at the Fortieth annual meeting of the Society for Psychophysiological Research, San Diego, U.S.A.

Invited Presentations

Clinical Experience

2007-2008: Harvard Medical School/McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA.
Pre-doctoral Intern in Clinical Psychology: Conducted group and individual therapy sessions in CBT and DBT-informed treatment of mood and anxiety disorders, psychotic disorders, and personality disorders. Completed one-year clinical and research elective at the OCD Institute.

2006-2007: Two Brattle Center, Cambridge, MA.
Clinical Practicum Student: Co-led adult CBT groups for major depressive disorder and borderline personality disorder and conducted individual therapy sessions focusing on DBT skills training.

2004-2005: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Behavioral Neurology Unit, Boston MA.
Clinical Practicum Student: Conducted neuropsychological test batteries with adults with a range of cognitive and neurological disorders. Documented evaluation results as neuropsychological reports.

2002-2004: Cambridge Health Alliance
South and East Asian Mental Health Clinic, Central Street Health Center, Somerville, MA.
Clinical Practicum Student: Conducted individual psychotherapy for mood, anxiety, and psychotic disorders.

Teaching Experience

1. 2006-2007: Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA.
   Position: Senior Thesis Advisor

2. 2005-2006: Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA.
   Position: Instructor, Contemporary Issues in Psychology: Intensive Cross-level Analyses

3. 2005-2006: Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA.
   Position: Junior and Senior Thesis Advisor

4. 2003-2004: Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA.
   Position: Teaching Fellow, Neurobiological Aspects of Psychopathology

Non-Academic Appointments

1. 1994-2001: Oracle Corporation, Redwood Shores, CA.
   Position: Principal Consultant

2. 1992-1993: Stanford Linear Accelerator, Menlo Park, CA.
   Position: Student Software Professional