Brad Nakamura

Dr. Brad Nakamura is Professor and Director of the Center for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (C-CCBT) at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. With over 15 years of continuous service to the university, he focuses on improving youth mental health through integration of scientific research with community practice. His career demonstrates strong commitment to Hawai‘i's youth mental health systems.

• PhD in Clinical Psychology (2007)
• MA in Psychology (2004)
• BA in Psychology (2000)

His research program addresses two key areas: 1) dissemination and implementation of evidence-based practices (EBPs) in youth mental health services, and 2) developmental psychopathology of anxiety disorders in children and adolescents. Recent publications focus on strength-based assessment tools like SEEDS, Ohio Scales validation, and implementation strategies for EBPs in public mental health systems.

Current research trends show particular attention to:

• Telehealth adaptation and telepresence optimization
• Measurement feedback systems in schools
• Implementation context analysis
• Strengths-based assessment development
• Community-academic partnerships
• Cultural adaptation of mental health tools

Dr. Nakamura actively advises trainees and leads multiple funded initiatives including:

• $582,550 (2024-2025) Hawaii Department of Education contract
• $1,757,063 (2024-2025) Department of Health grant
• Long-running Faculty Travel Fund recipient

He serves as principal investigator for statewide mental health assessment and training programs, and co-investigator for psychological assessment training initiatives. His lab collaborates with the Center for Cognitive Behavior Therapy to develop practice element frameworks and implementation ontologies that standardize youth mental health care delivery across Hawaii.