Cynthia A Conklin, PhD

Associate Professor of Psychiatry

Current Appointments

  • Co-Director, Healers, Activites, Innovators, Leaders (HAIL) Curriculum Program: Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
  • Co-Chair, Research Review Committee, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
  • Networking Committee Co-Chair, Bridging Connections in Addiction Research (BCAR), University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

Areas of Expertise

  • Substance Use Disorders
  • Women & Reproductive Health
  • Psychosis
Cynthia A Conklin, PhD
Expertise & Interests Selected Publications Education & Credentials Related News

Expertise & Interests

Research Interests

tDCS brain stimulation and combined therapies; Methods to reduce cue-reactivity in smokers; Brief mindfulness

Clinical Interests

Schizophrenia and addiction; Situationally provoked urinary incontinence

Education Interests

Medical student education; Postdoctoral student education; Research mentorship

Selected Publications

  1. Conklin CA, Coffman B, Greco CM, Tyagi S & Clarkson BD. (2025). Mindfulness and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to attenuate situational urgency urinary incontinence (UUI): A randomized pilot study. Continence, 14, 101765.
  2. Conklin CA, Coffman BA, McClernon FJ & Joyce C. (2022). Smokers self-report and behavioral reactivity to combined personal smoking cues (proximal+ environment+ people): A pilot study. Brain Sciences, 12(11), 1547.
  3. Clarkson BD, Wei Z, Karim HT, Tyagi S, Resnick NM, Salkeld RP & Conklin CA. (2022). Neuroimaging of situational urgency and incontinence provoked by personal urgency cues. Neurourology and urodynamics, 41(1), 166-173.
  4. Soreca I, Conklin CA, Vella EJ, Salkeld RP, Joyce CJ, Mumma JM, ... & Kupfer DJ. (2022). Can exercise alleviate sleep disturbances during acute nicotine withdrawal in cigarette smokers? Experimental and clinical psychopharmacology, 30(1), 82.
  5. Conklin CA & Tiffany ST. (2002). Applying extinction research and theory to cue-exposure addiction treatments. Addiction 97(2), 155-167.
  6. Smith TT, Koopmeiners JS, Tessier KM, Davis EM, Conklin CA. Randomized trial of low-nicotine cigarettes and transdermal nicotine. American Journal of Preventive Medicine 57 (4), 515-524
  7. Conklin CA & Perkins KA. (2004). Nicotine dependence and smoking. In N. Anderson (Ed.) Encyclopedia of Health Behavior. Sage Publishers, 733-737.
  8. Perkins KA, Conklin CA & Levine MD. (2008).Cognitive-behavioral therapy for smoking cessation: A practical guidebook to the most effective treatments. Taylor & Francis.
  9. Conklin CA & Tiffany ST. (2001). Cue exposure treatment: New ideas about an old therapy. In R. H. Coombs (Ed.) Addiction Recovery Tools: A Practitioner's Handbook. Sage Publishers.

Education & Credentials

Education & Training

Education
PhD, Clinical Psychology, Purdue University
Postdoctoral
Cardiovascular Behavioral Medicine, University of Pittsburgh

Selected Honors & Awards

  • Wyeth Young Psychopharmacologist Award, American Psychological Association
  • Jarvik-Russell Early Career Award, Society for Research on Nicotine & Tobacco
  • Faculty Scholar Award, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute

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