Briana Last

Briana Last is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Stony Brook University, specializing in Clinical Psychology. She holds a PhD from the University of Pennsylvania (2022) and focuses on improving mental health service accessibility and quality through interdisciplinary research.

Her research emphasizes three core domains: social determinants of mental health, implementation strategies for service improvement, and structural factors influencing clinician decision-making. She employs mixed methods and community-based participatory approaches, prioritizing marginalized populations affected by systemic inequities. Key interests include behavioral health workforce development, policy analysis, and dismantling barriers to equitable mental healthcare.

Her lab, the Mental Healthcare for All Lab, collaborates with governments, agencies, and clinicians to translate research into actionable policies. Notable projects address clinician burnout interventions, public mental health system gaps, and anti-transgender policy impacts. Recent work critiques scientifically unfounded bans on gender-affirming care and evaluates federal loan repayment programs for mental health workforce retention.

Publications span topics like AI chatbots in mental health, state policy effects on LGBTQ+ populations, and trauma therapy implementation. Her work highlights how clinician work conditions directly shape patient care quality, advocating for systemic changes to enhance both provider well-being and patient outcomes.