Josh Matacotta, Psy.D., M.A., CAHIMS
Acting Vice Dean/Associate Professor
College of Health Sciences
Website: https://research.westernu.edu/iibhr
- Postdoctoral Residency, California State Polytechnic University – Student Health Center, Pomona, CA, 2013
- Psy.D., Clinical Psychology, California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University, San Francisco, CA, 2012
- M.A., Clinical Psychology, California School of Professional Psychology, San Francisco, CA, 2010
- B.A. San Francisco State University, CA, 2005
- Certified Associate in Healthcare Information and Management Systems, Healthcare Information Management & Systems Society (HIMSS), 2017-present
- Adult, Child and Baby First Aid/CPR/AED, American Red Cross, 2020-present
- Online Course Design Fundamentals for OESP – Online Network of Educators (@ONE), 2019
- PT 5000 Psychosocial & Ethical Aspects of Health Care
- PT 5335 Cultural, Ethical, & Psychosocial Aspects of Health Care
- PA 5070 Psychosocial Dynamics
- HRSA Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) (2021-2025)
Hicks, Durkin,Matacotta, Marinello
WesternU Behavioral Health Training Center
Role: Senior Personnel
Western University of Health Sciences
Grant: $1,875,101
- Integrated Behavioral Health Research Institute (2020-2021)
Matacotta, Dery, Dossaji
Knowledge and risk perception about HCV: A cross-sectional study of adults living in Louisiana
Role: PI
Grant Applied/Awarded: $3,000
- Parsons Foundation (2017-2018)
Matacotta, Gurrola, Savage
Emergency Child Care Feasibility Study and Pilot Project
Role: PI
Additional Pilot Program Support: William L. Keck Foundation; First 5 Los Angeles; Anonymous Donor
Grant Applied/Awarded: $50,000
- Office of Head Start – Administration for Children and Families (2015-2016)
Ruvalcaba,Matacotta, Gurrola
Evaluation of a Technology Integration Professional Development Curriculum for Child Care Providers
Role: Co-PI
Child Care Resource Center, Inc.
Grant Applied/Awarded: $13,600
- California Mental Health Services Authority (Prop 63) (2012-2013)
Matacotta, Grossman, Herzog, Block
Conference: Strengthening Health and Resilience in Transgender College Students
Role: Lead
Grant Applied/Awarded: $5,000
- Diversity Champion Award, Presented by President Michael J. Ortiz, Ph.D., Cal Poly Pomona, 2012
- Practicum Stipend, AmeriCorps Bay Area Youth Agency Consortium: Health & Resilience Program, 2010
- National Psychologist Trainee Register, National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology, 2008
- Society for the Teaching of Psychology – American Psychological Association (APA Div 2): 2018-present
- Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS): 2017-present
- Society of Behavioral Medicine: 2016-present
- American Psychological Association: 2009-present
- Society for Community Research and Action: 2018-2020
- Association for Psychological Science: 2017-2020
- Western University of Health Sciences
IT Liaison Committee 2021-present
Assessment Committee 2021-present
IPE Design & Implementation Committee (2018-2020)
- National Institute of Health – Scientific Review
Division of AIDS, Behavioral and Population Sciences (DABD) - Center for Scientific Review Special Emphasis Panel: Small Business – Pscho/Neuropathology, Lifespan Development and STEM Education (5/2018-present)
Tyner, A. H., Abatayo, A. L., Daley, M., Matacotta, J., & Other Authors. (2026). Investigating the replicability of the
social and behavioral sciences. Nature 652, 143-150, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-10078-y
Pulford, A., Galano, A., Matacotta, J. & Juarez, A. (Under Review). Non-AIDS-defining cancers in people with HIV: Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Mental Health Implications. Psycho-Oncology.
Matacotta, J., Tran, D., & Yoon, S. (2024). The prevalence of major depressive disorder in people with HIV: Results from the All of Us Research Program. HIV Medicine, 25(8): 998-1004, https://doi.org/10.1111/hiv.13653
Nooripour, R., Hosseinian, S., Ghanbari, N., Haghighat, S.,Matacotta, J. J.& Gasparri, M. L. (2021) Validation of the Persian version of the satisfaction with life scale (SWLS) in Iranian women with breast cancer.Current Psychology(2021).doi:10.1007/s12144-021-01662-2
Novak, B., Panbechi, K. &Matacotta, J. Knowledge and risk perception about hepatitis C: Preliminary evidence from a cross-sectional study of adults living in Louisiana. 2021 Western Medical Research Conference.J Investig Med.2021; 69(1):103-296. doi:10.1136/jim-2021-WRMC
Feng, S., Le, T., Lee, K.,Matacotta, J. & Nelson, A. L. Assessing online content on Tdap vaccination in pregnancy using Instagram & Facebook. 2021 Western Medical Research Conference.J Investig Med.2021; 69(1):103. doi:10.1136/jim-2021-WRMC
Lee, K., Feng, S., Le, T.,Matacotta, J.& Nelson, A. L. Protecting newborns from pertussis: What online professional websites say about Tdap. 2021 Western Medical Research Conference.J Investig Med.2021; 69(1): 103. doi:10.1136/jim-2021-WRMC
Le, T., Lee, K., Nelson, A. L. &Matacotta, J. Online content about prenatal Tdap vaccination using Reddit. 2021 Western Medical Research Conference.J Investig Med.2021; 69(1): 103. doi:10.1136/jim-2021-WRMC
Matacotta, J. J.(2020) Mental health concerns of undergraduate and graduate students: Depression, anxiety, eating concerns, and substance misuse.PsyArXiv. doi:10.31234/osf/fgb8q
Matacotta, J. J.,Rosales-Perez, F. J. & Carrillo, C. (2020). HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis and treatment as prevention – beliefs and access barriers in men who have sex with men and transgender women: A systematic review.Journal of Patient-Centered Research & Reviews, 7(3).
Darharaj, M., Mojtaba, H., Khoshnood, K.,Matacotta, J. J., O’Bryan, J. (2017). Predictors of HIV risk behavior in Iranian women who inject drugs.Journal of Drug Issues, 47(3), 356-369.
Open Science Collaboration. (2015).Estimating the reproducibility of psychological science. Science,349(6251).doi:10.1126/science.aac4716
Matacotta, J. J.(2013). Aging with HIV: Sense of Coherence, Proactive Coping, and Quality of Life in Gay Men Over Fifty.Journal of Abstracts & Conference Reports from International Workshops on Infectious Diseases & Antiviral Therapy, 9,26.
Noripour, R. N., Zadeh, M. A., Ribeiro, N., Schier, A., Paes, F., Silva, A. C., Nardi, A. E., Machado, S.,Matacotta, J. J.(2013). Relationship between religious orientation, perfectionism and self-efficacy with stress in university students.Indian Journal of Health and Wellbeing, 4(8),1517-1520.
Matacotta, J. J.(2012). Aging with HIV: Sense of coherence, proactive coping, and quality of life in gay men aging with HIV.ProQuest/UMI Dissertations Publishing. http://search.proquest.com/docview/1237150818
Matacotta, J. J.(2011). Do gay men fear intimacy? Sexual minority stress and open relationships.The Good Men Project Magazine. March 2, 2010, at http://www.goodmenproject.com