Samuel Sears, Jr., PhD
Director
Samuel F. Sears, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Departments of Psychology and Cardiovascular Sciences at East Carolina University. He also serves as Associate Director of the ECU Cardiology Fellowship. Dr. Sears continues to practice and teach health psychology in cardiology clinics at the East Carolina Heart Institute at East Carolina University since 2007.
Dr. Sears is considered by many as the world authority on the psychological care and quality of life outcomes of patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) patients. He has published over 200 articles in the medicine and psychology research literatures and has well over 10, 000 citations. In 2021, Expertscape.com named Dr. Sears one of the top 50 experts/ prolific authors in the world on implantable defibrillators over the last 10 years amongst the 27,847 authors on the topic.
Dr. Sears was awarded the O. Max Gardner Award in 2013. This annual award is given by the Board of Governors of the University of North Carolina system to the faculty member who “has made the greatest contribution to the welfare of the human race” in the past year. The award is considered the highest honor bestowed to a faculty member in the UNC system.
Dr. Sears received his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. (1995) in clinical health psychology from the University of Florida. He previously served as an Associate Professor at the University of Florida from 1995-2007.
Zach Force, M.A.
Graduate Student
Zachary Force is a 6th year in the Cardiac Psychology lab and is currently completing his pre-doctoral internship at the VA in Lake Tacoma, WA. His interests include the patient experience of implantable cardiac devices, both implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) and pacemakers. His current interests focus on improving patient outcomes healthcare, specifically through the patient-provider relationship and patient-centered care.
In his free time, he enjoys hiking, listening to music, traveling, singing to his cat, and spending time with his wife and newborn son.
Scarlett Anthony, M.A.
Graduate Student
Scarlett Anthony is a 5th-year graduate student in the Cardiac Psychology lab and is currently completing her pre-doctoral internship at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine. She earned a BA in psychology in 2019 and a MA in clinical psychology in 2021 from East Carolina University. Her research interests include assessing behavioral and lifestyle risk factors among patients with atrial fibrillation and developing behavioral interventions. Her dissertation is focused on the feasibility and acceptability of a physical activity program for patients with atrial fibrillation.
Rebecca Harrell, M.A.
Graduate Student
Rebecca Harrell is a 4th-year doctoral student in the Cardiac Psychology Lab. She is originally from Tarboro, North Carolina, and she completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology at East Carolina University prior to admission to the Clinical Health Psychology Program. Rebecca is currently working on a project to better understand specific fears experienced by patients diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, and she is interested in their impact on lifestyle management and patient quality of life. In her free time, she likes to spend time with loved ones, travel to the coast, and read popular novels.
Caroline Martin, M.S.
Graduate Student
Caroline Martin is a 3rd-year doctoral student in the Cardiac Psychology Lab. She received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Sociology, as well as her master’s degree in Experimental Psychology. Her research at Ohio University focused on gender differences in self-reported motivators and barriers to blood donation in a group of young, novice New York City blood donors. As a student at East Carolina, Caroline’s interests lie in the psychological adjustment and quality of life of those with cardiac conditions such as aortic dissections and atrial fibrillation.
Elizabeth Jordan
Graduate Student
Elizabeth Jordan is a 2nd-year doctoral student in the Cardiac Psychology Lab. She received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Human Development and Family Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in May of 2020. Following graduation, she conducted research at the National Institute of Drug Addiction under Dr. Yihong Yang as a recipient of the Postbaccalaurate Intramural Research Training Award. Currently, Elizabeth is working on a project investigating patients with Cardiovascular Implantable Electronic Devices physical activity levels. Additionally, Elizabeth’s interests lie in improving the quality of life and behavioral mechanisms of patients suffering from cardiovascular illness through novel interventions and technologies.
Maeve Sargeant
Graduate Student
Maeve is a first-year doctoral student in the Cardiac Psychology Lab. She received her Bachelors degree at Saint Joseph’s University in May of 2020, where she studied Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience. Following graduation, Maeve worked at the National Institutes of Health under Drs Leslie Ungerleider, Eli Merriam, and Audrey Thurm, where she used neuroimaging methods to study the neurocircuitry of visual perception in both healthy individuals and cardiovascular patients. As a graduate student, Maeve is interested in working to understand behavioral and neurological effects of electrophysiological conditions.
