Zach Cooper

PhD Student

ABD

Zach Cooper, MSW, LCSW, is a PhD candidate in the School of Social Work at the University of Georgia and a Research Associate at Emory University. With over 8 years of clinical social work practice, he brings a rich clinical perspective to his research agenda. Zach earned his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Augusta University and his Master of Social Work from the University of South Carolina, where he was recognized as a Rural Integrated Behavioral Health Scholar.

Zach’s research centers on developing behavioral interventions for integration in healthcare settings to better address the management of chronic and co-occurring conditions including diabetes, depression, cardiovascular disorders, and anxiety. His work is grounded in advanced quantitative methodologies and implementation science, particularly within clinical trials targeting behavioral health interventions. His research has been funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) and the Solution-Focused Brief Therapy Association.

Zach has published several peer-reviewed articles and presented multiple papers at national conferences. His work aims to optimize behavioral health interventions and improve equitable access to integrated care models through rigorous implementation and dissemination strategies. His research has been featured in leading journals, including Diabetes Care, Social Science & Medicine, BMC Primary Care, and Diabetic Medicine.

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Curriculum Vitae >

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Education
  • MSW, University of South Carolina, Columbia, 2018
  • B.A. Psychology, Augusta University, 2016
Awards & Honors
  • NIH National Research Service Award (NRSA)January 2024-January 2026
  • Wilson Graduate Fellowship: University of GeorgiaMay 2024
  • Meritorious Student Abstract Award: Society of Behavioral MedicineFebruary 2024
  • Rural Integrated Behavioral Health ScholarAugust 2017-August 2018
Research Interests
  • Clinical Research Methods
  • Behavioral Health Interventions
  • Chronic and Cardiometabolic Disease
  • Implementation Science
Publications
  • Cooper. Z., Johnson, L. (In Press). Strategies for Fidelity Monitoring of Solution-Focused Brief Intervention in a Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial. Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings.
  • Cooper, Z., O’Shields, J., Ali, M., Chwastiak, L., Johnson, L. (2024) Effects of integrated care approaches to addressing co-occurring depression and diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Diabetes Care. doi: 10.2337/dc24-1334
  • Cooper. Z., Mowbray, O., Ali, M., Johnson, L. (2024). Addressing depression and comorbid health conditions through solution-focused brief therapy in an integrated care setting: A randomized control trial. BMC Primary Care. doi:10.1186/s12875-024-02561-8.
  • Cooper, Z., Johnson, L., Ali. M., Patel, S., Poogothai, S., Mohan, V., Anjana, RM., Tandon, N., Khadgawat, R., Sridhar, GR., Aravind, SR., Sosale, B., Sagar, R., Shankar, R., Sundari, B., Madhu, K., Narayan, KM., Rao, D., Chwastiak, L. (2024). Factors influencing diabetes treatment satisfaction in the INtegrating DEPrEssioN and Diabetes treatmENT randomized clinical trial (INDEPENDENT): A Multilevel Model Analysis. Diabetic Medicine. doi: 10.1111/dme.15412.
  • Cooper, Z., Mowbray, O. Johnson, L. (2024). Social determinants of health and diabetes: using a nationally representative sample to determine which social determinant of health model best predicts diabetes risk. BMC Clinical Diabetes and Endocrinology.
    doi: 10.1186/s40842-023-00162-5.
  • O’Shields, J., Mowbray, O., & Cooper, Z. (2023). The effects of childhood maltreatment on social support, inflammation, and depressive symptoms in adulthood. Social Science & Medicine, 340, 116481. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.116481

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