Wenting Mu
Associate Professor (Tenure Track)
Department of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Tsinghua University
Email: wmu@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn
Professional Experience
Associate Professor (Tenure Track), Department of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Tsinghua University
Postdoctoral Fellow, Clinical Psychologist, Residency Clinical Supervisor, Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
Education
Ph.D. Clinical and Community Psychology
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL.
Minor: Quantitative Psychology
APA Accredited Psychology Residency Program
Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY
Department of Psychology
Department of Psychiatry, Renaissance School of Medicine
M.S., Clinical and Counseling Psychology
Peking University, Beijing, China
B.A., English Language and Literature
Peking University, Beijing, China
Minor: Psychology and Philosophy
Research Areas
Innovative Interventions for Anxiety Based on Digital Health & LLM
Anxiety is one of the most common psychological disorders and significantly impacts productivity both in China and worldwide. Effective interventions for anxiety are not yet widely implemented. Increasing their accessibility has been identified as an urgent priority by scholars in clinical psychology and public health. Leveraging digital technologies, such as smartphones and websites, have presented an opportunity to enhance the accessibility of psychological interventions effectively, extending their reach beyond the consultation room.
Dr. Wenting Mu's team has developed a WeChat program aimed at researching its efficacy in alleviating academic anxiety. Moreover, our research team uses cognitive-behavioral therapy and exposure therapy as foundations to train large language models for personalized, evidence-based interventions for anxiety disorders. These interventions are grounded in psychological theories and incorporate cutting-edge technologies to create personalized treatment methods. Our goal is to validate the effectiveness and safety of these interventions, offering an innovative and reliable treatment option for individuals with anxiety.
Dynamic Risk Modeling
Adolescent depression and suicide/ non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) are major public health issues that are increasingly prevalent among teenagers in China as the pace of society accelerates. The incidence and lifetime prevalence of these issues are rising annually, placing a heavy burden on society and countless families. While previous academic research on depression and suicide/NSSI prediction has mostly been cross-sectional, it has limited causal inference capabilities. Additionally, most predictive research in academia assumes that risk factors are static and unchanging, despite substantial evidence indicating that both risk factors and the courses of the illnesses are highly variable.
In order to unravel the dynamic nature of risk factors and illness trajectories, Dr. Wenting Mu's team is conducting an in-depth exploration of this issue using longitudinal multi-point tracking data, employing methods such as hierarchical regression, logistic regression, machine learning, time-varying covariate survival analysis, and latent variable growth modes.
Awards and Honors
The 9th Outstanding Achievement Awards for Scientific Research in Higher Education Institutions (Humanities and Social Sciences), 2024, Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China
Zhongying Young Scholar, 2022, Tsinghua University
HASS Dissertation Fellowship Pilot Program, 2016, Graduate College, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Ed Scheiderer Memorial Research Award, 2016, Clinical & Community Division, Psychology Department, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Kanfer Fellowship, 2015, Psychology Department, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Publications
Chirica, M. G.#, Zhu, Y.#, Mu, W.*, Zhou, H., Gong, J., Chan, R. C., ... & Berenbaum, H. (2024). Exploring phenotypic overlap across schizotypy and autism spectrum conditions in American and Chinese young adults. Schizophrenia Research, 267, 359-366.
Mu, W.*, Huang, C., Yao, N., Miao, J., Perlman, G., Watson, D., … Kotov, R. (2024). Developmental pathway for first onset of depressive disorders in females: from adolescence to emerging adulthood. Psychological Medicine, 54(4), 753–762.
Liu, N., Liu, F., Ji, W., Du, X., Liu, X., Zhao, G., Mu, W.T., Liu, Y. J. (2024). TNANet: A Temporal-Noise-Aware Neural Network for Suicidal Ideation Prediction with Noisy Physiological Data. arXiv preprint arXiv:2401.12733.
Mu, W.*, Li,K., Tian, Y., Perlman G., Michelini, G., Watson, D. Ormel, H., Klein, D. & Kotov, R.* (2023). Dynamic risk for first-onset of depressive disorders in adolescence: Does change matter? Psychological Medicine, 53(6), 2352-2360.
Bredemeier, K. Mu, W., Mayinja, L., & Brown, L.A.. (2022). Emotional clarity and awareness predict obsessive-compulsive disorder Symptoms during Exposure and Response Prevention in a naturalistic treatment sample. Journal of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapy, 32(4), 262-270.
Zhu, Y.*, Mu, W.*, Chirica, M., & Berenbaum, H. (2022). Testing a Theory-Driven Factor Structure of the Autism- Spectrum Quotient. Autism Research, 15(9), 1710-1718.
Brown, L. A., Narine, K., Asnaani, A., Bredemeier, K., & Mu, W. (2022). Changes in affect, physical activity, physical health, and sleep in cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety: A pilot study. Journal of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapy,, 32(1), 45-56.
Kaczkurkin, A. N.*, Mu, W., Gallagher, T., Lieblich, S., Tyler, J., & Foa, E. B. (2021). The association of obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety disorders, and posttraumatic stress disorder with impairment related to eating pathology. Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders, 31, 100685.
Tyler, J.*, Mu, W.*, McCann, J., Belli, G., & Asnaani, A. (2021). The unique contribution of perfectionistic cognitions to anxiety disorder symptoms in a treatment-seeking sample. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, 1-17.
Brown , L. A.*, Majeed, I., Mu, W., McCann, J., Durborow, S., Chen, S., & Blank, M. B. (2021). Suicide risk among persons living with HIV. AIDS care, 1-7.
Brown, L. A.*, Mu, W., McCann, J., Durborow, S., & Blank, M. B. (2021). Under-documentation of psychiatric diagnoses among persons living with HIV in electronic medical records. AIDS care, 1-5.
Mu, W.*, Narine, K., Farris, S., Lieblich, S., Zang, Y., Bredemeier, K., ... & Foa, E. (2020). Trauma-related cognitions predict treatment response in smokers with PTSD: evidence from cross-lagged panel analyses. Addictive Behaviors, 108, 106376.
Brown, L. A.*, Benhamou, K., May, A. M., Mu, W., & Berk, R. (2020). Machine learning algorithms in suicide prevention: clinician interpretations as barriers to implementation. Journal of clinical psychiatry, 81(3), e12970-e12970.
Wang, H., Zhao, Q., Mu, W., Qian, M.*, & Berger, T. (2020). Internet-based cognitive behavior therapy for Chinese social anxiety: the role of shame-proneness. Journal of Medical Internet Research, Mental Health, 7 (7), e15797.
Nickle, L. B., & Mu, W. (2020). Meta-analysis in personality research. In B. J. Carducci (Editor-in-Chief & Vol Ed.), Wiley-Blackwell encyclopedia of personality and individual differences: Vol. II. Research methods and assessment techniques. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
Mu, W.*, & Wu, F. (2020). Blossoming for Whom? Social Approval and Body Image. In Beauty. IntechOpen.
Mu, W.*, Luo, J., Rieger, S., Trautwein, U., & Roberts, B. (2019). The relationship between self-esteem and depression when controlling for neuroticism. Collabra: Psychology, 5(1), 11.
Mu, W.* & Berenbaum, H. (2019). Negative self-conscious emotions: appraisals, action tendencies, and labels. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 38 (2), 113-S7.
Mu, W.*, Schoenleber, M., Castro, A. & Berenbaum, H. (2019). Automatic body image regulation and cued activation of social rejection or acceptance. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 38 (5), 393 – 406.
Sher, T., Niznikiewicz, M., Mu, W. (2017) Supervising ethical issues in couple and family therapy. In: Lebow J., Chambers A., Breunlin D. (eds) Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy. Springer, Cham.
Levallius, J.*, Mu, W., Norring, C., Clinton, D., & Roberts, B. (2017). Some stay the same: Personality change after treatment for eating disorder. European Psychiatry, 41, S555.
Mu, W.*, Luo, J., Nickel, L., & Roberts, B. W. (2016). Generality or specificity? Examining the relation between personality traits and mental health outcomes using a bivariate bi‐factor latent change model. European Journal of Personality, 30(5), 467-483.
Manjrekar, E.*, Schoenleber, M., & Mu, W. (2013). Shame aversion and maladaptive eating-related attitudes and behaviors. Eating behaviors, 14(4), 456-459.
Li, S., Mu, W., Xu, K., Wang, Y., & Qian, M.* (2010). Post-traumatic stress disorder and depression symptoms among Wen-chuan Earthquake victims from different communities three months after the disaster. Chinese Mental Health Journal, 24(9), 652-656. (in Chinese).
Grants
2024-2028, Research on Psychological State Assessment and Coping Strategies Based on Multi-Schedule Multidimensional Data and Multimodal Machine Learning, National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), Co-Investigator.
2023-2025, Exploring Transition from Subthreshold Depression to Onset of Major Depressive Disorder: A Dynamic System Approach, National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), PI.
2023-2024, Cultivating Students’ Research and Innovation Abilities in “Abnormal Psychology” and “Advanced Abnormal Psychology”, Tsinghua University Undergraduate Education Teaching Reform Project, PI.
2022-2024, Exploring Transition from Subthreshold Depression to Onset of Major Depressive Disorder: A Dynamic System Approach, Tsinghua University Initiative Scientific Research Program, PI.
2019-2021, Behavioral economics and physical activity implementation: A Pilot Study, The Center for Mental Health and Center for Health Incentives and Behavioral Economics (CHIBE), PI.
Clinical Training
Intervention
Clinician • Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety (CTSA), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Clinician/ Intern SBU-CIP • Psychiatry Department, Stony Brook University Hospital, Stony Brook, NY
Clinician/ Intern SBU-CIP • Leonard Krasner Psychological Center, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY
Clinician • Stress and Anxiety Clinic, Psychological Services Center, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL
Clinician • Stress Management Group for Crohn’s and Colitis, Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana, IL
Clinician • Couple Therapy Clinic, Psychological Services Center, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL
Clinician • CBT Based Weight Loss Program: A Pilot Study, Psychology Department, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL
Clinician • Eating Disorder Clinic, Psychological Services Center, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL
Clinician • Psychology Clinic, Peking University Hospital, Beijing, China
Psychology Intern • Psychiatry Inpatient Unit, Beijing Anding Hospital of Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
Assessment
Psychiatric Risk Assessment, Psychiatric Emergency Room, Stony Brook University Hospital, Stony Brook, NY
Bariatric Psychiatric Assessment, Bariatric Surgery Clinic, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY
Psychoeducational Assessment, Krasner Psychologic Center, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY
Neuropsychological Assessment, Psychology Department Clinic, Psychological Services Center, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL
Triage Assessment, Psychology Department Clinic, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Supervision
Supervisor • Center for Treatment and Study of Anxiety, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Supervisor • Krasner Psychological Center, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY
Supervisor • Couple Therapy Clinic, Psychology Department Clinic, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL
