Meet Our Team

Katy Dondanville, PsyD, ABPP, is an Associate Professor and a Licensed Clinical Psychologist. She is Board Certified in Cognitive and Behavioral Psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology. Dr. Dondanville is the Director of Research for the Fort Hood Site of the STRONG STAR Consortium and the Consortium to Alleviate PTSD. She oversees 30 faculty and staff in the delivery and evaluation of clinical intervention research for combat-related PTSD and related conditions in collaboration with some of the worlds leading clinical experts. Dr. Dondanville and her clinical team have delivered cutting edge treatment and assessment for over 2000 service members in the STRONG STAR clinic at Ft Hood. In 2016, Dr. Dondanville was awarded the UT Health Science Center Presidential Award for Clinical Service for her work with service members and veterans with PTSD. In 2017, she was awarded the Arthur W. Melton Early Achievement Award from the Society of Military Psychology (Division 19) of the American Psychological Association. She has trained hundreds of mental health providers in Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT). She has consulted with organizations and providers regarding the successful implementation of evidence-based treatments in community settings.

Brooke A. Fina, LCSW, BCD is an Associate Professor and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Ms. Fina is Board Certified in Clinical Social Work by the American Board of Examiners in Clinical Social Work. She serves as the Suicide Risk Advisor for the STRONG STAR Consortium and Consortium to Alleviate PTSD. She specializes in Prolonged Exposure (PE) for combat-related PTSD, and is a Master Clinician and Clinical Supervisor in PE. Additionally, she is an expert in Cognitive-Behavioral Conjoint Therapy (CBCT) for PTSD and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia and Nightmares (CBT-I+N). Ms. Fina oversees the development, implementation, and evaluation of all training curriculum.

Kristi E. Pruiksma, PhD., is an Assistant Professor and a Licensed Clinical Psychologist within the Division of Behavioral Medicine and the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Dr. Pruiksma provides clinical services for the STRONG STAR Consortium and the Consortium to Alleviate PTSD (CAP). Dr. Pruiksma works primarily at the site of the consortium located on the United States Army installation at Fort Hood in Killeen, TX. Her clinical and research interests are in the areas of behavioral sleep medicine and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). She specializes in Cognitive Processing Therapy for PTSD, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for insomnia, and in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for nightmares.

Lindsay M. Bira, Ph.D., is a clinical health psychologist and CPT Consultant for the STRONG STAR Training Initiative. As Assistant Professor within the Division of Behavioral Medicine and Department of Psychiatry at University of Texas Health San Antonio, she serves in clinical and training roles for STRONG STAR PTSD Research Consortium and the Consortium to Alleviate PTSD (CAP). Dr. Bira has a dual specialization in behavioral medicine and trauma psychology and is an expert in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Cognitive Processing Therapy. She speaks often on these topics to promote health and wellness and has been featured as a TEDx speaker as well as in other media for her work.

Abby Blankenship, PhD is an Assistant Professor and Licensed Clinical Psychologist. She is a cognitive-behavioral research therapist for the STRONG STAR Consortium and the Consortium to Alleviate PTSD. Dr. Blankenship’s research and clinical interests are in the areas of PTSD, PTSD treatment mechanisms of change, and individual and family psychological resilience. Dr. Blankenship’s expertise involve providing individual and group Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for PTSD and administering Clinician Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5). She has extensive experience working with veterans and active duty service members.

John Moring, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor and a Licensed Clinical Psychologist within the Department of Psychiatry at UT Health San Antonio. He is Co-Training Director for the STRONG STAR Postdoctoral Fellowship and is the Behavioral Medicine/Cognitive Behavioral Track Coordinator for the APA-Accredited Internship in Clinical Psychology at UT Health San Antonio. Dr. Moring is a research therapist for the STRONG STAR Consortium and the Consortium to Alleviate PTSD. He specializes in Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for combat-related PTSD and provides Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for post-traumatic headache and Written Exposure Therapy (WET) for PTSD.

Dr. Brittany N. Hall-Clark is an Assistant Professor and Licensed Psychologist within the Division of Behavioral Medicine and the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Dr. Hall-Clark specializes in Prolonged Exposure (PE) therapy for combat-related PTSD, Cognitive Behavioral Conjoint Therapy for PTSD as well as cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia and nightmares. At the Ft. Hood site of STRONG STAR, she is a cognitive-behavioral research therapist treating active duty Soldiers for several randomized clinical trials since 2011. Her professional interests include translational research, the influence of cultural variables on mental health, racial/ethnic differences in PTSD symptom presentation, and provider cultural competence.

Vanessa M. Jacoby, PhD., is an Assistant Professor and a Licensed Clinical Psychologist within the Division of Behavioral Medicine and the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Dr. Jacoby provides clinical services to active duty service members and their families for the STRONG STAR Consortium and the Consortium to Alleviate PTSD (CAP). Her research interests are in the developmental trajectory, and treatment, of PTSD and other trauma-related disorders. She specializes in Cognitive Processing Therapy for PTSD and Prolonged Exposure for PTSD. Additionally, Dr. Jacoby has worked with trauma-exposed children and whole families utilizing Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and has experience in incorporating family members into evidence-based treatments for PTSD.

Hannah Tyler is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Dr. Tyler provides clinical services for the STRONG STAR Consortium and the Consortium to Alleviate PTSD (CAP) at Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas. She has extensive experience providing trauma treatment for active duty military, veterans, and civilian community members. Dr. Tyler specializes in Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia and Nightmares (CBT-I&N). Her research interests include military psychology, evidence based trauma treatments, and the stigmatization of combat-related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Dr. Tabatha Blount is an is an Assistant Professor and Licensed Psychologist within the Division of Behavioral Medicine, Department of Psychiatry at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Dr. Blount specializes in Cognitive Behavioral Conjoint Therapy for PTSD, Prolonged Exposure for PTSD, and COPE for dual diagnosis PTSD and Alcohol Abuse. Additionally, she has training in cognitive behavioral therapies for chronic pain. Since 2010, she has served as a research therapist for STRONG STAR/CAP studies examining PTSD treatments in Post-911 active duty service members and veterans. Her professional interests include PTSD, chronic pain, family-based therapies, and behavioral treatments for tic disorders.

Dr. Wyatt Evans is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, serving as a research therapist for the STRONG STAR Consortium and Consortium to Alleviate PTSD at Fort Hood, Texas. He also has a research appointment with the National Center for PTSD supporting translational research and works with national and international groups dedicated to advancing understanding and intervention for moral injury. Dr. Evans specializes in combat-related traumatic and operational stress among active duty service members and veterans and has extensive training and experience in providing Prolonged Exposure (PE), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). His professional interests include mechanisms of posttraumatic stress development and treatment, moral injury conceptualization and intervention, and trauma in marginalized populations.