Research

Current Research

Our research explores factors that influence risk for alcohol use disorder (AUD) and negative consequences of alcohol and drug use. Our ongoing work combines laboratory alcohol administration, ecological momentary assessment, and mathematical modeling of decision making methods to test novel hypotheses about how individuals make decisions relevant to alcohol use, and how intoxication alters the decision making process. Our work is primarily supported by NIH/NIAAA, including two ongoing R01s and 1 F31 award.    

A rigorous test of dual-process model predictions for problematic alcohol involvement. 

This project (NIAAA R01 AA030914) is designed to test the independent and interactive influences of executive functioning and appetitive motivation for alcohol in predicting changes in alcohol use and problems over the transition to legal drinking (i.e., age 21). 

A Multi-Method Study of Extreme Alcohol Drinkers in the Lab and in Real-Life: Increasing Precision of Assessments of Extreme Drinking Determinants.

This project (NIAAA R01 AA027824) combines lab and ambulatory assessment methods to investigate the extreme drinking phenotype, defined as drinking alcohol to a BAC ≥.16. The project combines laboratory alcohol administration, ecological momentary assessment (EMA), and real-time BAC assessment (via portable breathalyzer) to predict binge drinking (BAC of .08-.159) and extreme drinking (BAC ≥.16) and their consequences.

Mechanisms by Which Gender Norms Influence Drinking Behavior Among Minoritized Populations.

This project (NIAAA F31 AA030210) involves collection of EMA data to test gender differences in alcohol risk mechanisms in Latinx and Black samples and examine the role of Latinx-specific gender norms in alcohol risk mechanisms. The project will additionally use integrative data analysis to compare the role of gender norms across Black, Latinx, and non-Latinx White samples.

Participate

For more information on our current studies or to determine if you are eligible to participate, please contact us at (573) 882-8225 or at our project coordinator's email: