Our people

Professor David Penn

Healthy Brain and Mind Research Centre

Areas of expertise: social cognition; psychosocial treatment for schizophrenia

ORCID ID: 0000-0003-4567-0166

Email: david.penn@acu.edu.au

David L. Penn is the Linda Wagner-Martin Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, USA and Senior Visiting Fellow at Australian Catholic University. Dr. Penn has expertise in the areas of social cognition and psychosocial treatments for psychosis. He has published over 200 articles and his research has been supported by the Stanley Foundation, the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation (formerly NARSAD) and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). From 2017-2022, he was an ESI Clarivate Analytics Highly Cited Researcher (top 1% of most cited scientists in the world in Psychology-Psychiatry from 2005-2020). His current research studies include examining the development of a culturally tailored intervention for Black Americans with First Episode Psychosis (FEP), implementation of Horyzons (developed at ACU and Orygen) in the United States, and paced walking for chronic schizophrenia.

Select publications

In press

• Brief Battery of the Social Cognition Psychometric Evaluation (BB-SCOPE): Development and validation in schizophrenia spectrum disorders
  Halverson, T. F., Pinkham, A. E., Harvey, P. D., & Penn, D. L. (in press). Brief Battery of the Social Cognition Psychometric Evaluation (BB-SCOPE): Development and validation in schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Journal of Psychiatric Research
• Lived experience in psychosis: A qualitative approach.
  Ludwig, K., Brandrett, B., Lim, M., Mihas, P., & Penn, D. L. (in press). Lived experience in psychosis: A qualitative approach. Journal of Mental Health.

2021

• Alvarez-Jimenez, M., Koval, P., Schmaal, L., Bendall, S., O'Sullivan, S., Cagliarini, D., D'Alfonso, S., Rice, S., Valentine, L., Penn, D. L., Miles, C., Russon, P., Phillips, J., McEnery, C., Lederman, R., Killackey, E., Mihalopoulos, C., Gonzalez-Blanch, C., Gilbertson, T., Lai, S., Cotton, S. M., Herrman, H., McGorry, P. D., & Gleeson, J. F. M. (2021). The Horyzons project: a randomized controlled trial of a novel online social therapy to maintain treatment effects from specialist first-episode psychosis services. World Psychiatry, 20, 233-243. doi:10.1002/wps.20858
• Badal, V. D., Depp, C. A., Hitchcock, P. F., Penn, D. L., Harvey, P. D., & Pinkham, A. E. (2021). Computational methods for integrative evaluation of confidence, accuracy, and reaction time in facial affect recognition in schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Research: Cognition, 25, 233-243. doi:10.1016/j.scog.2021.100196
• Browne, J., Battaglini, C., Jarskog, L. F., Sheeran, P., Abrantes, A. M., McDermott, J., Elliott, T., Gonzalez, O., & Penn, D. L. (2021). Targeting physical health in schizophrenia: Results from the Physical Activity can Enhance Life (PACE-Life) 24-week open trial. Mental Health and Physical Activity, 20. doi:10.1016/j.mhpa.2021.100393.
• Deste, G., Vita, A., Nibbio, G., Barlati, S., Penn, D. L., Pinkham, A. E., & Harvey, P. D. (2021). Autistic symptoms in people with schizophrenia: Neurocognitive, socio-cognitive, clinical and real-world functional characteristics of individuals without autistic features. Schizophrenia Research, 236, 12-18. doi:10.1016/j.schres.2021.07.037
• Ferrer-Quintero, M., Green, M. F., Horan, W. F., Penn, D. L., Kern, R. S., & Lee, J. (2021). The effect of sex on social cognition and functioning in schizophrenia. NPJ Schizophrenia, 7. doi:10.1038/s41537-021-00188-7.
• Fundora, C., Cruz, M., Barone, K., Penn, D. L., Jarskog, L. F., Pinkham, A. E., & Harvey, P. D. (2021). Lifetime employment in schizophrenia: Correlates of developing long term unemployment after being employed before. Cognitive Neuropsychiatry, 26, 95-106. doi:10.1016/j.mhpa.2021.100393.
• Greene, R. K., Parish-Morris, J., Sullivan, M., Kinard, J. L., Mosner, M. G., Turner-Brown, L. M., Penn, D. L., Wiesen, C. A., Brodkin, E. S., Schultz, R. T., & Dichter, G. S. (2021). Dynamic eye tracking as a predictor and outcome measure of social skills intervention in adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 51, 1173-1187. doi:10.1007/s10803-020-04594-1
• Hajduk, M., Penn, D. L., Harvey, P. D., & Pinkham, A. E. (2021). Social cognition, neurocognition, symptomatology, and functional outcomes in people with schizophrenia: A network analysis. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 144, 8-13. doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.09.041.
• Halverson, T. F., Davidson, C. A., Spaulding, W., & Penn, D. L. (2021). Behavioral and cognitive therapies in psychiatric rehabilitation for the schizophrenia spectrum: Finding the forgotten stepchild. Behavior Therapist, 44, 15-23.
• Halverson, T. F., Meyer-Kalos, P. S., Perkins, D. O., Gaylord, S. A., Palsson, O. S., Nye, L., Algoe, S. B., Grewen, K., & Penn, D. L. (2021). Enhancing stress reactivity and wellbeing in early schizophrenia: A randomized controlled trial of Integrated Coping Awareness Therapy (I-CAT). Schizophrenia Research, 235, 91-101. doi:10.1016/j.schres.2021.07.022
• Lahera, G., Reboreda, A., Vallespi, A., Vidal, C., Lopez, V., Aznar, A., Fernandez, P., Escolar, M., Martinez-Ales, Rodriguez-Jimenez, R., Halverson, T., Frommann, N., Wolwer, W., & Penn, D. L. (2021). Social cognition and interaction training (SCIT) versus training in affect recognition (TAR) in patients with schizophrenia: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 142, 101-109. doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.07.029.
• Miller, M. L., Strassnig, M. T., Bromet, E., Depp, C. A., Jonas, K., Lin, W., Moore, R. C., Patterson, T. L., Penn, D. L., Pinkham, A. E., Kotov, R. A., & Harvey, P. D. (2021). Performance-based assessment of social skills in a large sample of participants with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and healthy controls: Correlates of social competence and social appropriateness. Schizophrenia Research, 236, 80-86. doi:10.1016/j.schres.2021.08.012.
• Orleans-Pobee, M., Brown, J., Ludwig, K., Merritt, C., Battaglini, C. L., Jarskog, L. F., Sheeran, P., & Penn, D. L. (2021). Physical Activity Can Enhance Life (PACE-Life): results from a 10-week walking intervention for individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Journal of Mental Health, Advanced online publication. doi:10.1080/09638237.2021.1875403.
• Thomas, E. C., Suarez, J., Lucksted, A., Siminoff, L. A., Hurford, I., Dixon, L. B., O'Connell, M., Penn, D. L., & Salzer, M. S. (2021). Facilitating treatment engagement for early psychosis through peer-delivered decision support: intervention development and protocol for pilot evaluation. Pilot and Feasibility Studies, 7. doi:10.1186/s40814-021-00927-8.
• Zajenkowska, A., Rogoza, R., Sasson, N. J., Harvey, P. D., Penn, D. L., & Pinkham, A. E. (2021). Situational context influences the degree of hostile attributions made by individuals with schizophrenia or autism spectrum disorder. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 60, 160-176. doi:10.1111/bjc.12283.

Projects

• NIMH-1R01-MH093432-01A1: Social Cognition Psychometric Evaluation. David L. Penn, Ph.D.,Philip Harvey, Ph.D. and Amy Pinkham, Ph.D. (Principal Investigators), $537,366 (Total direct costs for UNC site), March 1, 2012 to January 31, 2017.
• NIMH-R21-MH100250-01A1: Targeting Stress Reactivity in Schizophrenia: Integrated Coping Awareness Therapy. David L. Penn, Ph.D., Piper Meyer, Ph.D., and Diana Perkins, M.D. (Principal Investigators), $375, 000 (Total direct costs), April 4, 2014 to March 21, 2016.
• NIMH-R33-MH100250-03: Targeting Stress Reactivity in Schizophrenia: Integrated Coping Awareness Therapy. David L Penn, Ph.D., Piper Meyer, Ph.D., and Diana Perkins, M.D. (Principal Investigators), $813,992 (Total direct and indirect costs), May 5th, 2016 to March 31, 2019.
• NIMH-R34-MH111852-01AI: Targeting Physical Health in Schizophrenia: Physical Activity Can Enhance Life (PACE-Life). David L. Penn, Ph.D. and Claudio Battaglini (Principal Investigators), $710,990 (Total direct and indirect costs), July 15, 2018 to April 30, 2022.
• NCDHHS/SAMHSA contract to Diana Perkins (PI): NC Early Psychosis Interventions Technical
• Assistance Program (NC EPI-TA), David L. Penn (Co-I), $659,327, July 1, 2020 – June 30, 2021.

Accolades and awards

• Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapy (ABCT), Psychosis and Schizophrenia Spectrum (PASS) special interest group – Recipient of the 2019 Trailblazer Award.
• Named on 2021’s Highly Cited Researchers list, which means that his research in Psychology has been frequently cited and supported by many in his field. This award represents the top 1% of most cited scientists in the world in Psychology-Psychiatry from 2010-2020.
• Penn lab named in Journal of Clinical Psychology as one of top producers of scholarly publications in clinical psychology PhD programs.
• Awarded the Beckman Award in 2013 for his mentorship of Dave Roberts. The Beckman Award is given to only 10 professors in the U.S.

Appointments and affiliations

• Linda Wagner-Martin Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill (current)
• Senior Visiting Fellow, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, VIC, 2014 - present
• Linda Wagner-Martin Distinguished Professor of Psychology, University of North
• Carolina-Chapel Hill, 2012-present
• Professor, Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, 2006 – present
• Associate Director of the Clinical Training Program, Department of Psychology, University of North
• Carolina-Chapel Hill, 2006-2012
• Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, 2002-2006
• Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, 1999-2002
• Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, LSU, 1996-1999
• Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Illinois Institute of Psychology, 1994-1996
• Visiting faculty, Department of Psychology, Illinois Institute of Psychology, 1993-1994 

Editorial roles

• Editorial Board, Schizophrenia Research: Cognition 2014-present
• Editorial Board, Early intervention in Psychiatry 2007-present
• Editorial Board, Psychology and Psychotherapy 2005-present
• US Editor, Journal of Mental Health 2003-2022

International Journal review panel

Public engagement

• Featured in The New Yorker and ABC news.com.
• Interviewed by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln about his involvement with the RAISE study.
• Interviewed by SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) about role at the First Episode Psychosis clinic, OASIS.