Dr. Jessica Hua joined BIEEGL in 2020 as a post-doctoral research fellow under the VA Sierra Pacific Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC) Advanced Fellowship in Mental Illness Research and Treatment program. Dr. Hua earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from University of California San Diego and received her M.A. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from University of Missouri after completing a clinical internship at the San Francisco VA Medical Center.
Dr. Hua’s research focuses on the mechanisms associated with underlying risk for psychosis and the course of schizophrenia. Using multimodal neuroimaging and behavioral approaches, the aim of Dr. Hua’s research is to identify neurobiological and behavioral abnormalities in schizophrenia, with the goals of improving prediction of those at risk for psychosis and of informing psychosis treatments. In addition, Dr. Hua specializes in cognitive behavioral therapy for psychosis and mood disorders as well as dialectical behavior therapy for personality and mood disorders.