Patricia Kurtz

Biography

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH: Dr. Kurtz received her doctoral degree in psychology from the Claremont Graduate School in 1991. She completed a post-doctoral fellowship in behavioral psychology and pediatrics at Kennedy Krieger Institute and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. In additional to her current appointments at Kennedy Krieger and Johns Hopkins, Dr. Kurtz has an adjunct appointment in psychology at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Dr. Kurtz is a licensed psychologist in the state of Maryland. She is a member of the Association for Behavior Analysis and the Maryland Association for Behavior Analysis. RESEARCH SUMMARY: Dr. Kurtz’s research has focused on the assessment and treatment of self-injurious behavior, aggression and other severe behavior problems exhibited by individuals with developmental disabilities. This includes the development of intensive behavioral treatment approaches for problem behavior, as well as evaluation of generalization of treatment effects and long-term outcome following inpatient or outpatient treatment. Dr. Kurtz’s primary research interest is the emergence of self-injurious behavior in infants and children. Current studies focus on identification of risk factors associated with the onset and persistence of self-injurious behavior in young children, provision of early behavioral treatment for self-injury, development of early intervention and prevention models for severe behavior disorders and development of education and training programs for parents and professionals.

Research Interest

Psychiatry