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Dr. Acheson received his B.A. in Psychology from Purdue University in 2003 and his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University at Albany, State University of New York in 2009. He completed predoctoral clinical internship and postdoctoral research training at the University of California-San Diego and VA San Diego Healthcare System. He joined the Psychiatry Department faculty in 2012. Dr. Acheson’s research attempts to understand the biobehavioral mechanisms involved in etiology and treatment of fear and anxiety-related disorders through the employment of cross-species translational paradigms with primarily psychophysiological outcomes (fear learning and extinction, prepulse inhibition). Dr. Acheson has a particular interest in facilitating learning-based mechanisms of psychotherapy via pharmacological intervention. Dr. Acheson currently serves as staff psychologist in the UCSD Obsessive Compulsive Treatment Program where he specializes in application of CBT/Exposure-based treatment strategies to “OC spectrum” disorders such as OCD, Body Dysmorphic Disorder, Compulsive Hoarding, and Habit Disorders.