MARIA KAREKLA

Maria Karekla is a Cypriot University of Cyprus Associate Professor and head of the ACTHealthy laboratory. With a PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University at Albany (SUNY) specializing in Anxiety Disorders and Health Psychology, she investigates anxiety-health comorbidity through psychophysiology and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), focusing on adolescents, chronic pain patients, and cancer populations. Her work spans digital interventions (VR pain management, avatar-led smoking cessation), experimental psychopathology, and pandemic mental health responses.

• University of Cyprus: 2010–present
• PhD: Clinical Psychology (Anxiety/Health), University at Albany (SUNY)
• Residency: University of Mississippi Medical Center

Research Interests center on:

• Psychological flexibility in chronic illness
• Digital health solutions (internet/virtual reality)
• ACT protocol development for pain/smoking
• Psychometric validation of behavioral measures
• Pandemic behavioral patterns (over 30 related publications)
• Psychosocial determinants of health behaviors

Scientific Impact includes:

• 2010 Pompidou Group award for adolescent smoking prevention
• 2017 Society of Behavioral Sleep Medicine award for chronic pain research
• Over 70 peer-reviewed articles (including Nature Human Behavior, JAMA Network)
• Leadership roles: Chair of EFPA e-health taskforce, European Health Psychology Committee

Her 15 most recent articles (2020–2021) demonstrate:

• 7 Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science publications on psychological flexibility
• 5 PLoS ONE/European Journal of Psychology Open pandemic studies
• 3 Journal of Medical Internet Research digital intervention trials
• 2 Psychological Assessment psychometric validations
• International collaborations across 12 countries