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Dr. Perfect is an Assistant Professor in the School Psychology Program at the University of Arizona. Dr. Perfect received her doctorate in Educational Psychology (specialization: School Psychology) from the University of Texas at Austin and her Masters degree in Psychology from the New York University. She completed her APA-accredited pre-doctoral psychology internship at the University of Medicine and Dentistry in Newark, NJ. Afterward, she completed postdoctoral fellowships in pediatric psychology at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, TX and in health psychology and biostatistics at Scott & White Memorial Hospital in Temple, TX. She has also taken postdoctoral coursework in psychopharmacology. Her research focuses on the intersection of physical and mental health, with a particular focus on the impact of sleep and pediatric chronic illnesses on school, mental health, and neurobehavioral functioning. Dr. Perfect also engages in research and service activities aimed at addressing the educational and behavioral health needs of youth who have been maltreated or experienced trauma, preparing school psychologists to be competent to provide school and community mental health services to children and families, and to participate in general health promotion (e.g., sleep, obesity prevention, sexual health). In particular, she applies a positive psychology framework that examines resiliency in the face of adversities and mind-body interventions (e.g., Hypnosis, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction) that can promote the well-being in children. Dr. Perfect's teaching interests are in development, early childhood, therapy, evidence-based interventions, and school-community mental health.

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Courses
  • LI
    Learning and Instruction

  • CP
    Child Psychotherapy

  • CDSP
    Cultural Diversity and School Psychology

  • CD
    Cognition and Development

  • TFI
    Theoretical Foundations of Intelligence

  • ECAI
    Early Childhood Assessment and Intervention

Grants
  • Funding agency logo
    Extending Sleep to Improve Glycemic Control in Pediatric Type 1 Diabetes

    Principal Investigator (PI)

    2016

    $2.1M
    Active
  • Funding agency logo
    An Administrative Research Supplement to Support Diversity for Parent Grant Extending Sleep to Improve Glycemia in Pediatric Type 1 Diabetes

    Principal Investigator (PI)

    2016

    $19.4K
    Active
  • Funding agency logo
    Supporting and Underrepresented Student in Research

    Principal Investigator (PI)

    2016

    $3.0K
  • Funding agency logo
    A Sleep Education Program to Improve STEM Education in Elementary School

    Principal Investigator (PI)

    2015

    $1.4M
  • Funding agency logo
    A Sleep Education Program to Improve STEM Education in Elementary School

    Principal Investigator (PI)

    2015

    $184.6K
  • Funding agency logo
    Minority Undergraduate Internship for Elucidating the Role of Sleep on Glycemic Control and Neurobehavioral Functioning in Youth with Type 1 Diabetes

    Principal Investigator (PI)

    2014

    $3.0K
  • Funding agency logo
    Elucidating the Role of Sleep in Glycemic Control and Neurobehavioral Functioning in Youth with Type 1 Diabetes

    Principal Investigator (PI)

    2013

    $540.0K
News
  • Researchers to Improve Student Learning With Millions in Grants

    2016

  • Diamond Children's Opens Hospital School Program

    2016

  • UA Team to Study Impact of Sleep, Activity on Diabetes

    2016

  • UA Professor Engages Kids, Encourages Z’s

    2015

  • UA Collaboration Advances Type 1 Diabetes Care Research

    2012

Publications (31)
Recent
  • Differences in Sleep Architecture According to Body Mass Index in Children with Type 1 Diabetes

    2020

  • Embedded systems in Medical devices and their integration with medical data, EMR and Big Data

    2017

  • Longitudinal analysis of sleep duration using actigraphy and sleep diary: Stability and agreement over 8-11 months

    2016

  • Modeling and Simulation for pediatric sleep and education performance correlations

    2016

  • Adverse childhood exposures associated with adult insomnia symptoms

    2016

  • The contribution of sleep problems to academic and psychosocial functioning

    2014

  • The Relations of Sleep and Quality of Life to School Performance in Youth With Type 1 Diabetes

    2014

  • Mothers' depressive symptoms and children's facial emotions: Examining the depression-inhibition hypothesis

    2012

  • Relationship between sleep quality and quantity and weight loss in women participating in a weight-loss intervention trial

    2012

  • Sleep, glucose, and daytime functioning in youth with type 1 diabetes

    2012

  • Initial development of a brief measure of psychological distress1

    2012

  • Delivering school-based mental health services by school psychologists: Education, training, and ethical issues

    2011

  • Moderating effect of hypnoti zability on hypnosis for hot flashes in breast cancer survivors

    2011

  • Relations between Minnesota multiphasic personality inventory - A scales and rorschach variables with the scope and severity of maltreatment among adolescents

    2011

  • Preferences for hypnotic imagery for hot-flash reduction: A brief communication

    2010

  • Stress and quality of sleep among individuals diagnosed with diabetes

    2010

  • Adolescents with Diabetes and Their Parents' Perceptions of Mental Health Screening, Assessment, and Feedback

    2010

  • Cognitive-behavioral therapy and hypnotic relaxation to treat sleep problems in an adolescent with diabetes

    2010

  • Biobehavioral management of hot flashes in a 48-year-old breast cancer survivor

    2008

  • Randomized trial of a hypnosis intervention for treatment of hot flashes among breast cancer survivors

    2008

  • Perceptions of Sexual Assertiveness among Adolescent Girls: Initiation, Refusal, and Use of Protective Behaviors

    2007

  • Microbicides: Information, beliefs, and preferences for insertion

    2007

  • Measurement of microbicide acceptability among U.S. adolescent girls

    2007

  • Hypnosis to manage anxiety and pain associated with colonoscopy for colorectal cancer screening: Case studies and possible benefits

    2006

  • Adolescents' descriptions of the physical characteristics of microbicide surrogates and experiences of use

    2006

  • Use of complementary and alternative medicine for the treatment of genital herpes

    2005

  • Encouraging academic careers: One of many desirable career options for doctoral school psychologists

    2004

  • Examining communicative behaviors in a 3-year-old boy who is blind

    2001

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