Michael Otto awarded the 2024 Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT) Outstanding Researcher Award
Michael Otto, professor of psychological and brain sciences and Hariri Institute faculty affiliate and former fellow, was awarded the 2024 Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT) Outstanding Researcher Award. The award recognizes researchers in the field who have made significant literature contributions to advance the study of behavior therapies. Throughout his career, Otto has published over 500 academic works and has been cited over 53,000 times, demonstrating his strong commitment to advancing the knowledge of behavior therapies. He was previously identified as a “top producer” in clinical empirical research and an ISI Highly Cited Researcher.
Otto’s work focuses on developing cognitive-behavioral treatments for depression and bipolar disorder, anxiety-related disorders, substance use disorders, and health behaviors. Additionally, he promotes health treatments including medication adherence and exercise behaviors. Otto’s treatments center around the theme of exposure-based emotional tolerance and acceptance strategies to improve mental health. He leads Boston University’s Translational Research Lab, where the group’s projects work with treatment-resistant and disproportionately at-risk populations. To support his research, Otto has received 20 years of continuous funding from the NIH. Otto’s research frequently brings novel treatments into the field of cognitive-behavior therapies.
ABCT is an interdisciplinary organization dedicated to advancing the knowledge and treatment of human wellness and cognitive-behavior problems through science. The organization annually awards one of its members with the ABCT Outstanding Researcher Award for their commitment to promoting knowledge of behavior therapies through scholarly work.