2018 Wilbert E. Fordyce Clinical Investigator Award
Beverly E. Thorn, PhD
Beverly E. Thorn, PhD, is Professor Emerita of Psychology at the University of Alabama, where she was on the faculty for 30 years, serving as Director of the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program for 15 years and Department Chair for a 5-year term. She received her PhD in bioclinical psychology from Southern Illinois University in 1980, satisfying the degree requirements for a doctorate in clinical psychology as well as physiological psychology. She is a licensed psychologist, and board certified in Clinical Health Psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology. She is a Fellow of the Societies for Health Psychology (Division 38 of the American Psychological Association), Clinical Psychology (Division 12 of the American Psychological Association), and of the Society for Behavioral Medicine. Dr. Thorn’s research has focused on investigating the important components of psychosocial treatments for chronic painful conditions. Dr. Thorn has held research grants from the National Institutes of Health, the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute, and private foundations. Since her official retirement in September, 2016, she has remained professionally active, focusing her research and clinical efforts on dissemination and implementation of pain self-management treatments for chronic pain in low-income, multiply disadvantaged populations.
The Wilbert E. Fordyce Clinical Investigator Award and Lecture was established in 1995 to recognize and honor career achievement in clinical research on pain. The award has been named for Wilbert E. Fordyce, PhD, the first recipient of this honor.
