Psychology and Neuroscience

Leila Azarbad

Professor of Psychology

Contact

+1 630 637 5379
lazarbad@noctrl.edu

Office Location

WSC

Profile Picture

Dr. Leila Azarbad is a Professor of Psychology at North Central College and a licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in health psychology/behavioral medicine. Her clinical areas of focus are psychological assessment and treatment of mood and anxiety disorders, eating disorders, and obesity. Her research interests focus broadly on eating behaviors, eating disorders, and body image, and she runs an active undergraduate lab that is currently investigating strategies for reducing food cravings. Dr. Azarbad is a faculty mentor for the NCC women's basketball team (go Cards)! She has taught at the graduate, post-graduate, and medical school level, but her true passion is teaching undergraduates. She was the recipient of the Clarence F. Dissinger Award for Distinguished Teaching by a junior faculty member in 2013 and a Ruge Fellow award for excellence in teaching in 2018. 

Selected Scholarship

  • Rivera, N., Azarbad, L., & Peter-Hagene, L. (2022, April). Assessing department climate and supporting inclusive practices. Roundtable discussion facilitated at the 2022 annual meeting of the Midwestern Psychological Association.
  • Azarbad, L., & Keeney, J.  (2018, March).  Comparing the effectiveness of food induction craving techniques: Are GIFs best?  Poster presentation given at the 2018 annual meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, New Orleans, LA.
  • Azarbad, L., & Keeney, J.  (2017, March).  Severity of depressive symptoms affects weight loss goals, eating pathology, and dieting behaviors in college women.  Poster presentation given at the 2017 annual meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, San Diego, CA.
  • Keeney, J., & Azarbad, L. (2017). Examining binge eating symptoms in male and female undergraduate athletes and non-athletes. Performance Excellence Movement, Winter edition, 12-14.

Courses Taught

PSYC 282: Stress and Coping

PSYC 293: Careers in Psychology & Neuroscience

PSYC 324: Adult Psychopathology

PSYC 350: Clinical Psychology

PSYC 385: Health Psychology

PSYC 490: Science of Love and Lust

Additional Credentials

Licensed Clinical Psychologist

Areas of Interest

Clinical/Counseling psychology

Health psychology/Behavioral medicine

Obesity and weight loss

Eating disorders

Degrees

B.A., Illinois Wesleyan University, 2001; M.Ed. 2002, Ph.D. 2006, University of Virginia.