Kelly Watson, PhD

Dr. Kelly Watson is an Assistant Professor of Neurology and a licensed clinical psychologist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. She is certified in Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT) and provides this clinical service for children, adolescents, and adults at the Vanderbilt Center for Tourette Syndrome and Other Tic Disorders.

She completed her BA in psychology graduating summa cum laude at Vanderbilt University. She continued her training at Vanderbilt University and received her PhD in clinical psychological science after completing her APA-accredited predoctoral clinical internship at the University of Minnesota Medical School. Dr. Watson completed her research-focused fellowship on an NIMH T32 training grant at Vanderbilt University and subsequently served as a co-investigator on two extramural grants from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development prior to joining the VUMC faculty in 2022.

Most broadly, Dr. Watson’s research focuses on identifying factors that put adolescents and families faced with chronic adversity at increased risk for social, emotional, and behavioral problems. Her research has focused on modifiable risk factors that can be targeted in clinical interventions to enhance resilience. Dr. Watson has a particular interest in social and cognitive processes, including social cognition, executive functioning, family communication, and social connection. Dr. Watson is actively involved in multiple studies of youth and families affected by Huntington’s disease. In 2023, she received the Vanderbilt Faculty Research Scholars Award, a career development award that provides protected time and funding to support her research in Tourette syndrome. Dr. Watson’s research project seeks to understand the mechanisms and impact of the widespread social problems experienced by individuals with Tourette syndrome.