Lynn DeBar, PhD, is a behavioral health researcher. Her work focuses on health issues that have emotional and physical causes and manifestations, such as eating disorders, pain syndromes, and obesity-related health problems. She is particularly interested in exploring how these health issues can be addressed and treated in primary-care settings and general medical practices.

Dr. DeBar’s primary research interest is on developing treatments that address the complex interrelationships between physical symptoms and emotional disorders. Her work seeks to build on research showing that people with emotional disorders, such as anxiety and depression, often seek treatment for related physical symptoms, and that people with a variety of physical ailments can benefit greatly from concomitant attention to their emotional and psychosocial conditions. Accordingly, Dr. DeBar’s research develops and evaluates treatment approaches that simultaneously recognize and address these complex needs. Dr. DeBar works closely with physicians at Kaiser Permanente Northwest (KPNW) to ensure that findings from her research are making their way into clinical practice, and, conversely, to examine how clinical practice can influence the design of mental-health interventions. This health services research identifies opportunities for improved service delivery.

In addition to her role as a Senior Investigator at the Center for Health Research, Dr. DeBar is a clinical assistant professor of Public Health & Preventive Medicine at Oregon Health & Science University. She received a National Research Service Award post-doctoral fellowship from the Agency for Healthcare Policy and Research and previously served as a staff psychologist at the Portland VA Medical Center. She holds a PhD in clinical and community psychology, with an emphasis on health psychology, from Yale University. Dr. DeBar also received an MPH from Oregon Health & Sciences University, where she focused on epidemiology and biostatistics.