Research interests
Professor Lynch’s research interests are in the understanding and treatment of mood and personality disorders using a “translational” line of inquiry. His research team’s overall goal is to combine basic science and behavioural laboratory findings with the most recent technological advances in intervention research, in order to develop and test more effective interventions for treatment refractory clients. A major focus has been an interest in understanding emotion and emotion regulation (e.g., emotion inhibition, experiential avoidance; threat and reward sensitivity) using fMRI, psychophysiological, and behavioural laboratory paradigms. Recently, his group has developed a neuroregulatory model of socio-emotional functioning with transdiagnostic implications that accounts for problems associated with both under-controlled disorders (e.g., borderline personality disorder, substance abuse, externalizing disorders) and over-controlled disorders (e.g., anorexia, obsessive compulsive personality disorder, paranoid personality disorder, chronic depression).
A second major research focus revolves around the treatment of disorders characterized by excessive self-control or overcontrol--e.g., chronic depression, anorexia nervosa, obsessive compulsive personality disorders, and autism spectrum disorders. He is the developer of a new treatment approach known as radically open dialectical behaviour therapy (RO-DBT) for over-controlled disorders based on 20+ years of clinical and experimental research—including the recently funded Project REFRAMED—a multi-centre randomized clinical trial of RO-DBT for treatment resistant depression that is ongoing in the UK. He has ongoing research collaborations with a wide range of research teams internationally.
Prior Research Funding
Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation Programme--Medical Research Council
(C.I. Lynch) £2,156,220 (start date: Sept 2011)
Role: Chief Investigator (CI)
Radically Open Dialectical Behaviour Therapy for Treatment Resistant Depression: A randomized controlled trial—Project REFRAMED- REFRActory depression - Mechanisms and Evaluation of radically open dialectical behaviour therapy
This five year study is a three-site multi-centre randomized controlled trial designed to examine the efficacy and mechanisms of a new treatment that targets emotionally constricted behaviours in treatment resistant depression that was developed by the CI.
MRC Experimental Medicine in Mental Health
Award amount: £273,000
Role: Co-Investigator (PI: Garner)
Title: Towards an experimental model of anxiety for treatment development: The effects of novel psychological and pharmacological treatments on subjective, autonomic and neuropsychological response to 7.5% carbon dioxide challenge.
This two year study is designed to test the utility of a unique laboratory paradigm for eliciting anxiety as an avenue for testing treatments for anxiety—medication and mindfulness strategies.
Wellcome Trust (Co-PI: Lynch)
Award amount: £3,600,000
Wellcome Trust Capital Fund
Role: Co-Principal Investigator
This is a collaborative capital fund application submitted by the Mood Disorders Centre (MDC), School of Psychology, University of Exeter. This grant is designed to provide the infrastructure to the MDC collaborative research team (Kuyken, Watkins, Lynch, Wright, & O'Mahen) in order to test, develop, and integrate translational research findings.
R01 DA017372 (P.I. Lynch) 09/30/2003-06/30/2008
National Institute of Drug Addiction $2,293,705
Evaluation of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
This multi-site study examined the effectiveness of dialectical behavior therapy in treating borderline personality disorder with opiate dependence.
Role: Chief Investigator
R01 DA018311 (P.I. Lynch) 09/15/2004-07/31/2008
National Institute of Drug Addiction $1,530,000
Developing Computer Based Treatments for Addiction.
The aims of this proposal are to develop and manualize a cue-exposure based cocaine treatment using virtual reality based cue exposure/extinction software and computerized extinction reminder technology for use in high risk situations outside of treatment.
Role: Principal Investigator
K23MH01614 (P.I. Lynch) 08/01/99-07/30/05
National Institute of Mental Health $1,080,322
Treatment of Elderly Depression with Axis II Comorbidity.
This study was designed to develop and evaluate new dialectical behavior therapy approach for treatment of treatment resistant depression with comorbid personality disorders.
Role: Principal Investigator
R01 DA017372-03S1 (P.I. Lynch) 09/30/2003 - 06/30/2008
National Institute of Drug Addiction
NIDA $229,500
Changes in Brain Activation with DBT or I/GDC
Role: Principal Investigator
The aims of this proposal are to obtain feasibility data and to begin a preliminary examination of the neural substrates associated with treatment response in DBT for BPD with opiate dependence.
R01 DA17372-02S2 P (P.I. Lynch) 07/01/2004 - 06/30/2005
National Institute of Drug Addiction
NIDA $71,755
Second supplement for “Evaluation of Dialectical Behavior Therapy” designed to examine mechanisms of change.
Role: Principal Investigator
R01 DA017372-02S1 (P.I. Lynch) 07/01/2004 - 06/30/2006
National Institute of Drug Addiction NIDA $257,958
Supplement applications for "Evaluation of Dialectical Behavior Therapy: Supplement for Minority Training”
Role: Principal Investigator
P50 MH60451-01A2 (Krishnan) 09/01/01-06/30/06
National Institute of Mental Health NIMH $2,367,956
Conte Centers for the Neuroscience of Depression
This study examines learning and neural substrate associated with emotion regulation among depressed patients.
Role: Co-Investigator
GlaxoSmithKline (P.I. Lynch) 08/01/03-07/30/05
$80,000
The Effects of Paxil-CR Augmentation of a Mindfulness Intervention for Co-Morbid Depression in Lung Cancer Patients: A Pilot Study
This study is examining treatment of depressed lung cancer patients using medication and mindfulness interventions. (effort donated from K23)
Role: Principal Investigator
American Foundation for 08/01/01-12/01/04
Suicide Prevention (P.I. Lynch) $70,000
Distraction versus Suppression of Suicidal Urges: Effects of Associational Learning
This study examines the effects of emotion suppression on classical conditioning in suicidal patients. (effort donated from K23)
Role: Principal Investigator
Duke Cancer Prevention, Detection and Control Research Program (P.I. Lynch)
2001-2002 $30,000
A Mindfulness Intervention for Treatment of Co-Morbid Depression in Lung Cancer Patients: A Pilot Study
Role: Principal Investigator
National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression (P.I. Lynch)
1997-2000.1.1.1.1 $60,000
Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging to examine Conditioning Salience and Habituation to Emotional Stimuli in Depression.
Role: Principal Investigator
John A. Hartford Foundation (P.I. Lynch)
1997-2000.1 $10,000
Treatment of Old-Age Depression with Axis II Comorbidity.
Role: Principal Investigator
Arthritis Foundation (P.I. Keefe)
1997-2000 $625,901
Clinician-Assisted Emotional Disclosure: Effects on Rheumatoid Arthritis
Role: Co-Investigator
R03 MH057799-01 (P.I. Lynch)
National Institute of Mental Health
NIMH 1998-1999 $38,250
Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Depressed Older Adults.
Role: Principal Investigator
Walker Inman Memorial, Duke University Medical Center (P.I. Lynch)
1997-2000.1 $7,500
Comparison between cognitive and neurobiological models of suicidal behavior among depressed elderly.
Role: Principal Investigator
Walker Inman Memorial, Duke University Medical Center (P.I. Lynch)
1998-2000 $7,500
A comparison between Dialectical Behavior skills training and Pharmacotherapy in the treatment of depression in older adults.
Role: Principal Investigator
Research project(s)
REFRAMED is the study acronym for REFRActory depression - Mechanisms and Efficacy of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy.
Radically Open Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (RO-DBT) is a novel psychotherapy developed by Professor Lynch for patients who suffer from over-control. RO-DBT has been developed over the past 20 years, in labs in the US and UK, for patients with chronic or treatment resistant depression or anorexia nervosa. RO-DBT is now practised in the UK, Europe, and North America, and is increasingly recognised as effective for patients who exhibit over-control. The efficacy of RO-DBT has been informed by experimental, longitudinal, and correlational research, including two randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of refractory depression with comorbid OC personality dysfunction that provided the foundation of the development of the RO-DBT treatment manual (Lynch et al., 2007; Lynch, Morse, Mendelson, & Robins, 2003), one non-controlled trial with adult anorexia nervosa inpatients (Lynch et al., 2013), a case series open-trial applying Radical Openness skills alone plus standard DBT with adult AN outpatients (Chen et al., 2015), while the mechanisms of change and efficacy for treatment of refractory depression and comorbid OC personality disorders are being investigated via the large multi-site RCT ‘REFRAMED’ (Lynch).
