Shirley Amanda Gazabon, PhD

Dr. Gazabon's research interests and publications are in the areas of pre-natal depression among HIV+ pregnant women, applying the Stages of Change Model to adults adjusting to illness, behavioral management & stress responses with regard to heath management, and applying CBSM group interventions to adults.
As a health psychologist trained by leaders in the area of health behavior change, Dr. Gazabon has developed the clinical and research skills necessary to establish a solid career path in the field of Bariatric Psychology and weight management. Dr. Gazabon's research interests include continued work in the understanding of psychological factors associated with obesity and long-term weight management, specifically 1) identifying psychological predictors of weight loss and weight regain 2) developing culturally sensitive interventions for bariatric patients at the pre and post-operative phase of treatment 3) addressing the psychological risk factors associated with lack of long-term follow-up 4) continued collaboration with the medical team by providing education on the psychological aspects of treating a patient struggling with obesity.

Dr. Gazabon was a recipient of the NIH scholarship for ethnic minority health disparities research.

Dr. Gazabon is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine since 2009. Dr. Gazabon earned her Ph.D. at the University of Rhode Island and as part of her doctorate actively participated in research at the Cancer Prevention Research Center under the guidance of James Prochaska, Ph.D, leader in development of the Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change. She completed an APA accredited internship in behavioral medicine at University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital, specializing in the psychiatric treatment of patients with adjusting to spinal cord injury and cancer. She completed a two-year research fellowship at the Behavioral Medicine Research Center, University of Miami, Department of Psychology under the supervision of Dr. Micheal Antoni. During her fellowship, she worked along-side Drs. Neil Schneiderman and Micheal Antoni in development of clinical trials and application of the Cognitive Behavioral Stress Management (CBSM) Group intervention for HIV and cancer patients.