Celebrating Excellence: Jessica Schleider, PhD, Receives the ABCT Dissemination and Implementation Science Early Career Award
By: Julie A. Bednark
December 11, 2024
We are thrilled to congratulate Jessica Schleider, PhD, Associate Professor in the Department of Medical Social Sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, for being honored with the prestigious Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies’ Dissemination and Implementation Science Special Interest Group (ABCT DIS-SIG) Early Career Award. This distinguished recognition, presented annually to an individual within a decade of earning their PhD, acknowledges remarkable contributions to the dissemination and implementation (D&I) science field.
Innovative Contributions to Mental Health Access
In discussing the award, Schleider expressed her gratitude, noting how it highlights the value of unconventional approaches to D&I science. Her lab’s work stands out by focusing on disseminating self-guided and digital mental health interventions directly to youth via platforms like social media and schools, bypassing traditional healthcare frameworks. “It means the world to see D&I science expanding to include new types of research, including our nontraditional approaches to improving access to evidence-based mental health care,” Schleider shared.
Inspiration and Motivation
Schleider’s journey into D&I science began during her time as an intervention scientist, building and testing single-session interventions with the potential for scalability. However, she realized that effectiveness trials alone would not suffice to create public health impact. This realization drove her to seek specialized training in D&I science, an endeavor that has since become central to her work.
Overcoming Challenges and Building Expertise
Entering the D&I field was not without its challenges. Schleider began her training in 2021, navigating the complexities of a new discipline. Her participation in the Implementation Research Institute (IRI) from 2022 to 2024 proved transformative, providing her with the skills, resources, and community essential for success. She credits IRI and its network of mentors and peers for shaping the impactful research her lab conducts today.
Looking Ahead
Winning the ABCT DIS-SIG Early Career Award marks an exciting milestone for Schleider and her team. She views it as a launching pad for expanding their efforts to make single-session interventions widely accessible to youth. Current projects include collaborations with state-level partners, such as those in Montana, to integrate digital interventions into schools and primary care systems to address unmet mental health needs among teens.
Words of Wisdom
Reflecting on her journey, Schleider offers advice to aspiring scientists: “Growth as a scientist is hard. You might spend many years specializing in a specific set of methods only to realize they don’t fully align with your long-term goals. Embrace those stuck-points as opportunities to pivot and support your aspirations.”
Personal Fulfillment
Beyond professional validation, this award holds deep personal significance for Schleider. She takes pride in the dedication she has shown to mastering D&I science, balancing this growth with her responsibilities as a faculty member and lab director. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Jessica Schleider for this well-deserved recognition and look forward to seeing the transformative impact of her ongoing and future projects on youth mental health.