Professor (tenured)
Diplomate, American Board of Professional Psychology (Rehabilitation Psychology)
Fellow, American Psychological Association, Division 22
Associate Editor, Journal of Clinical Psychology 
Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Virginia
PhD (1988), Virginia Commonwealth University

VCU Program Affiliation:
Clinical Psychology

Research Interests

My research focus throughout my career has been on understanding and facilitating the psychological adaptation to chronic medical illness and disability. This work has covered several areas: examining psychological adjustment to amputation, heart transplant and stroke; designing and testing coping enhancement and wellness interventions for older medical patients; testing home and classroom cognitive-behavioral treatments for medical patients with co-morbid insomnia; and, most recently, testing brief interventions that can be administered by psychologists in the primary care setting. Clinical interests include clinical health psychology, behavioral sleep medicine, primary care psychology, and clinical geropsychology.

• Do older adults or younger adults adjust better to life after heart transplant?
• Can pain be reduced by improving sleep in chronic pain sufferers with insomnia?
• Will cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia improve outcomes in people with co-morbid psychiatric conditions?

Selected Publications

Vitiello, M. V., McCurry, S. M., Shortreed, S. M., Balderson, B. H., Baker, L. D., Rybarczyk, B., Keefe, F. J., & Von Korff, M. (2014). Short-term Improvement in insomnia symptoms predicts long-term improvements in sleep, pain, and fatigue in older adults with co-morbid osteoarthritis and insomnia. Pain, 155, 1547-1554. 

Rybarczyk, B., Lund, H. G., Garroway, A., & Mack, L. (2013). Overview of CBT for insomnia in older adults: Methods, outcomes and dissemination. Clinical Gerontologist, 36, 70-93.

Margolies, S. O., Rybarczyk, B., Vrana, S.,  Lynch, J., & Leszczyszyn, D. (2013). Efficacy of a cognitive-behavioral treatment for insomnia among Afghanistan and Iraq (OEF/OIF) veterans with PTSD. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 69, 1026–1042.

Shamaskin, A. M. Rybarczyk, B., Wang, E., White-Williams, C., McGee, E., Cotts, W., & Grady, K. L. (2012). Older patients (Age 65+) report better quality of life, psychological adjustment and adherence than younger patients 5 years post-heart transplant: A multi-site study. Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation, 31, 478-484.

Rybarczyk, B., Mack, L., Huang Harris, J., & Stepanski, E. (2011). Testing two self-help CBT interventions for older adults with insomnia comorbid with arthritis or coronary artery disease. Rehabilitation Psychology, 56, 257-266.

• Full publication list‌ [PDF]

Recent Courses

• Introduction to the Helping Relationship, undergraduate level
• Clinical Applications of Health Psychology, graduate level
• Grant Writing, graduate level
• Introduction to Clinical Interviewing, graduate level

Recent Grants

A Training Program in Primary Care Psychology for the Underserved and Homeless. Principal Investigator. 2013-2016. Graduate Psychology Education grant funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). D40HP25724, $498,000.

A Training Program in Lifespan Primary Care Psychology for the Underserved. Principal Investigator. 2010-2013. Graduate Psychology Education grant funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). D40HP19638, $390,000.

Primary Care Psychology Clinic Initiative. Principal Investigator. 2010-2014. Virginia Health Care Foundation. $120,000.