Department of Psychology

Dr. Sandoval will consider accepting a doctoral student for the Fall of 2025.

For information on the Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.), visit clinicalpsychpsyd.appstate.edu

Education

• PhD, 2024, Virginia Consortium Program in Clinical Psychology
• Predoctoral Internship, 2023-2024, Charleston Area Medical Center
• MA, 2019, Appalachian State University, Clinical Psychology
• BS, 2016, UNC Pembroke, Psychology

Research Interests

• Women’s health
• Body image (body dissatisfaction, positive body image)
• Weight stigma
• Eating behaviors
• Mobile health assessment and intervention

Dr. Sandoval’s program of research is rooted in women’s health with a large emphasis on body image, a critical women’s health concern, health behaviors, and mobile health assessment and intervention methods. Much of her research examines body image and its behavioral manifestations (e.g., fat talk, disordered eating) in the context of romantic relationships, among racial and ethnic minority women, sexual minority women, college students, and pregnant adults.

Selected Publications

*denotes mentored work with a student author

Romano, K. A., Sandoval, C. M., Lewis, R. J., & Heron, K. E. (2024). Daily relationship functioning and disordered eating behaviors among sexual minority women in same-sex relationships. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 58(6), 412-421.

Heron, K. E., Dawson, C. A., Sandoval, C. M., *Butler, L. V., Braitman, A. L., Cerezo, A.., & Lewis, R. J. (2023). Refining an ecological momentary study of binge eating in sexual minority and heterosexual young women: A mixed methods pilot study. mHealth, 9(33), mhealth-23-16.

Romano, K. A., Heron, K. E., Sandoval, C. M., MacIntyre, R. I., Howard, L. A., Scott, M., Mason, T. B. (2022). Weight bias internalization and psychosocial, physical, and behavioral health: A meta-analysis of cross-sectional and prospective associations. Behavior Therapy, 54(3), 539-556.

Heron, K. E., Braitman, A. L., Dawson, C. A., Sandoval, C. M., *Butler, L. V., *Moulder, A., & Lewis, R. J. (2022). Rationale and design of an ecological momentary assessment study examining predictors of binge eating among sexual minority and heterosexual young women: Protocol for the Health and Experiences in Real Life (HER Life) Study. JMIR Research Protocols, 11(10), e41199.

Sandoval, C. M., Martz, D. M., Bazzini, D. G., Webb, R. M., Hinkle, M. M., & Francis, L. (2022). Does fat talk affect relationship and sexual satisfaction? Adults’ perceptions of fat talk in a fictional romantic relationship. Eating Behaviors, 45, 101603.

Romano, K. A., Heron, K. E., Sandoval, C. M., Howard, L. M., MacIntyre, R. I., & Mason, T. B. (2022). A meta-analysis of associations between weight bias internalization and conceptually-related correlates: A step towards improving construct validity. Clinical Psychology Review, 92, 102127.

Sandoval, C. M., Romano, K. A., Heron, K. E., Dawson, C. A., Sutton, T. G., Winstead, B. A., & Lewis, R. J. (2022). Associations between body dissatisfaction and relationship factors among same-sex female couples: An actor-partner model. Journal of Family Psychology, 36(5), 780-790.

Lewis, R. J., Romano, K. A., Ehlke, S. J., Lau-Barraco, C., Sandoval, C. M., Glenn, D. J., & Heron, K. E. (2021). Minority stress and alcohol use in sexual minority women’s daily lives. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, 29(5), 501-510.

Selected Conference Presentations 

*denotes mentored work with a student presenter

Fields, S. A., & Sandoval, C. M. (2024, August). Integrating Behavioral Health on an Inpatient Family Medicine Rotation. Poster presented at the annual convention of the American Psychological Association, Seattle, WA.

Sandoval, C. M., Esplin, C. R., & Heron, K. E. (2024, March). Body dissatisfaction and its association with eating restraint during pregnancy. Live research spotlight (Paper) presented at the annual meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, Philadelphia, PA.

Esplin, C. R., Sandoval, C. M., & Luzier, J. L. (2024, March). Experiences of women faculty in an academic medical center. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, Philadelphia, PA.

Williams, B. M., Sandoval, C. M., & Luzier, J. L. (2023, October). Increased travel time to clinic and limited access to superstores may inhibit early change in eating disorder symptoms during treatment. Poster presented at the West Virginia Psychological Association Fall Conference in Charleston, WV. 

Sandoval, C. M., & Heron, K. E. (2023, April). Body dissatisfaction’s association with excess gestational weight gain. Paper session presented at the annual meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, Phoenix, AZ.

Sandoval, C. M., Dawson, C. A., & Heron, K. E. (2022, April). Body image dissatisfaction during pregnancy: A between-person trimester comparison across multiple body image facets. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, Baltimore, MD.

Sandoval, C. M., Heron, K. E., *Moulder, A., & Downs, D. S. (2022, April). Pregnant women’s interest in health behavior change using mobile technology. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, Baltimore, MD.