Faculty Profiles

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Dr. Robert Lopez Jr.

  • Assistant Professor - Psychology
Portrait of Dr. Robert Lopez Jr.

Biography and expertise

I earned a B.A. in Psychology with a minor in History of Science from Harvard University in 2014, where volunteering at Boston Children's Hospital and in the Nock Lab sparked my interest in youth suicide prevention research. After working as a research assistant at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, I completed my M.A. (2019) and Ph.D. (2023) in Clinical Psychology at George Mason University, with an APA-accredited internship at UC Davis Children’s Hospital. I then served as a Postdoctoral Scholar and Clinical Instructor at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in the Department of Psychiatry under advisement of Dr. Joan Asarnow. In addition to being a tenure-track Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Texas State, I am a licensed psychologist in TX and CA.

Education

Doctorate Degree

PhD in Psychology

George Mason University, 2023

Master's Degree

MA in Psychology

Clinical

George Mason University, 2019

Teaching Interests

Research Interests

  • López Jr., Roberto (Co-Principal), Rogers, Megan Leigh (Co-Principal). Development of a Single-Session Intervention Supporting First-Generation Student Mental Health and Service Use, Division of Student Success, Texas State University, $4425. (Submitted: May 29, 2026, Funded: September 1, 2026 - August 31, 2027). Grant.
  • López Jr., Roberto. 2025-26 Unrestricted Travel Grants - Summer, Psi Chi, Private / Foundation / Corporate, $1500. (Submitted: March 30, 2026). Grant.
  • López Jr., Roberto (Principal). Peter and Malina James & Dr. Louis P. James Legacy Scholarship, American Psychological Foundation & Council of Graduate Departments of Psychology, Private / Foundation / Corporate, $5000. (Funded: 2021). Grant.
  • López Jr., Roberto (Principal). APS Student Grant Competition, American Psychological Association, Private / Foundation / Corporate, $500. (Funded: 2021). Grant.
  • López Jr., Roberto (Principal). Psychological Science Research Grant – Diversity, American Psychological Association of Graduate Students, Private / Foundation / Corporate, $1000. (Funded: 2021). Grant.
  • López Jr., R., Meza, J. I., Asarnow, L. D., Berk, M. S., McCauley, E., & Asarnow, J. R. (2026). Implicit identification with death and adolescent self-injurious thoughts and behaviors: Sleep quality as a moderator. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 55(1), 150–162. https://doi.org/10.1080/15374416.2025.2541349
  • Chodzen, G., Asarnow, J. R., López Jr., R., Cohen, J., McCauley, E., Berk, M., & Gallop, R. (n.d.). Dialectical behavior therapy may improve post traumatic stress disorder symptoms among suicidal adolescents: Secondary results from the CARES randomized controlled trial. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.
  • Hindmarch, G. M., Meza, J. I., López Jr., R., Padilla-Frausto, I., Asarnow, J. R., & Eisenberg, D. (2026). Adolescent worry about experiencing firearm violence and its association with mental health. Pediatrics, 158(5), e2025074683. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2025-074683
  • López Jr., R., Ellis, A. J., Henson, V., Berk, M. S., McCauley, E., & Asarnow, J. R. (2026). The Mirror Tracing Persistence Task: An indicator of future adolescent suicide risk? Psychiatry Research Communications, 6(3). Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psycom.2026.100265
  • López Jr., R. (2026). The algorithm was wrong and right. New York, NY, United States: The New York Times Company. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/17/style/tiny-modern-love-stories-why-dont-you-both-get-in.html
View all scholarly/creative works
  • Award / Honor Recipient: Unrestricted Travel Grant, Psi Chi. 2024
  • Award / Honor Recipient: Research Grant for Psychology Students and Recently Graduated Psychologists of Color, American Psychological Association. 2023
  • Award / Honor Recipient: Training Scholarship, Beck Institute for Cognitive Behavior Therapy. 2022
  • Award / Honor Recipient: Dean's Challenge Award, George Mason University. 2022
  • Award / Honor Recipient: George Mason University Graduate Student Travel Award, George Mason University. 2022
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  1. Reviewer / Referee

    PLoS One

  2. Reviewer / Referee

    Psychiatry Research

  3. Reviewer / Referee

    Child Abuse & Neglect

  4. Reviewer / Referee

    Psychiatry Research Communications

  5. Reviewer / Referee

    Journal of Affective Disorders

  6. Reviewer / Referee

    Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies

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