Current Position(s):
Assistant Professor | Phyllis and Harvey Sandler School of Social Work | Florida Atlantic University

At FIU-CBRI:
Dr. Christine “Chrissy” Spadola graduated with her Ph.D. in social welfare from Florida International University in 2015. After graduation, she completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders at Harvard Medical School. Her work was recently featured by Harvard University’s Clinical and Translational Science Center. Christine is currently an Assistant Professor in the Sandler School of Social Work at Florida Atlantic University. 

Dr. Spadola was a graduate assistant at CBRI from 2013-2015, and was a postdoctoral research fellow at CBRI from 2015-2016. Her dissertation, completed under the direction of Dr. Eric Wagner, explored reasons surrounding an increase in alcohol use after bariatric surgery among racially/ethnically diverse young adults. During her time at FIU, Dr. Spadola worked as a CBRI project coordinator on the Ware Foundation-funded study “FIU Yoga Teens,” a quasi-experimental study examining yoga as an adjunct to outpatient mental health treatment among adolescents.

Dr. Spadola was interviewed on November 20, 2019, and shared her thoughts and memories of her experiences at CBRI.

In what ways has working with the CBRI-team shaped your professional path?
“My professional experience at CBRI underscored the importance of community input when designing interventions, as well as the importance of implementing rigorous research designs to test community-based interventions. Understanding your target population and empowering your target population in all aspects of research is crucial.”

What do you remember most from your time at FIU-CBRI:
“What I remember most is the warm and supportive environment fostered by a shared sense of urgency to conduct meaningful research that positively impacts the community. The humorous atmosphere and abundance of good food that was always around also helped to ensure a positive, productive, and enjoyable working environment!”