Denise Walker

Research Professor
Director, Innovative Programs Research Group
PhD, University of New Mexico

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206-543-7511
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Dr. Walker’s expertise is in the fields of addictive behaviors, cannabis treatment and misuse, and intimate-partner violence. Her research focuses on the development, testing and implementation of interventions that bring about positive changes in patterns of behavior. In particular, Dr. Walker examines how to help people gain motivation to change risky behaviors and identifies the best ways to assist them in achieving their goals. She received her MS and PhD in clinical psychology from the University of New Mexico and is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist.

Dr. Walker has applied her work to a number of hard-to-reach populations including adolescents, marijuana-dependent adults, active-duty military personnel experiencing substance use issues or PTSD, and domestic-violence perpetrators. Findings from her work provide best practices and real-world applications to community practitioners for identifying and serving a wide range of at-risk individuals.

Dr. Walker is the director of the Innovative Programs Research Group (IPRG), which conducts studies designed to gain knowledge about the characteristics and needs of underserved populations, and assesses the effectiveness of methods that break down barriers to delivering social and mental health services