Colgate University, B.A. in Neuroscience (1996)

University of Arizona, Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology (2006)

Clinical Internship - Brown University (2006 - 2007)

Brown University Research Webpage

Research Interests

My current research interests include sleep, emotional disturbances, and new treatment/prevention strategies for mood disorders with a particular emphasis on mindfulness-based approaches. I recently completed a 3-year NIH-funded RCT on the neurophysiological effects of mindfulness meditation in depression, including executive, affective, autonomic and  endocrine functioning. Current research projects examine the effects of meditation practices on executive functioning, sleep and emotional wellbeing, and the examination of the appropriate "dose" of meditation practice for different populations and outcomes.

Selected Publications

Britton, W.B., Bootzin, R.R., Cousins, J.C., Hasler, B.P., Peck, T., Shapiro, S.L. (2010). The Contribution of Mindfulness

     Practice to a Multi-Component Behavioral Sleep Intervention Following Substance Abuse Treatment in Adolescents: A

     Treatment Development Study. Substance Abuse. 31: 2, 86-97

Britton W.B., Haynes P.L., Fridel K.W., Bootzin R.R. (2010). Polysomnographic and subjective measures of sleep

     continuity before and after Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in partially remitted depression. Psychosomatic

     Medicine, 72, 539-548.

Shahar, B., Britton, W.B., Sbarra, D., Figueredo, A.J., and Bootzin, R.R. (2010). Mechanisms of Change in Mindfulness-

     Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Preliminary Evidence from a Randomized Controlled Trial. International

     Journal of Cognitive Therapy, 3, 402-418.

Payne, J. D., Britton, W.B., Bootzin, R. R., & Nadel, L. (2005). Beyond Acetylcholine: Next steps for sleep and memory

     research. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 28, 77.

Britton, W.B., & Bootzin, R. R. (2004). Near-death Experiences and the Temporal Lobe. Psychological Science, 15,

     254-258.

Shapiro, S., Britton, W.B., & Walsh, R. (2004) An Analysis of Recent Meditation Research and Suggestions for Future

     Directions. Journal of Meditation Research, 10, 2-27.

Payne, J. D., Britton, W.B., Nadel, L., & Jacobs, W. J. (2004). The biopsychology of trauma and memory. In D. Reisberg

     & P. Hertel (Eds.), Memory and Emotion (pp. 76-128). New York: Oxford University Press.