CAS invites research collaborators and addiction education instructors within and outside of Rutgers University to be part of its multidisciplinary teams. Our associate members come from many backgrounds and expand the technical skills and theoretical perspectives available to our researchers and educators.
Ayse Akincigil, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Rutgers University
aakinci@rutgers.edu
I specialize in Health Services Research, focusing on aging and mental health.
Gary Aston-Jones, Ph.D.
Director, Brain Health Institute, Rutgers University
aston.jones@rutgers.edu
My research is in the realm of cognitive neuroscience; addiction neuroscience; rats; circuits; orexin; norepinephrine; hypothalamus and the locus coeruleus.
Sudie Back, Ph.D.
Professor, Medical University of South Carolina
backs@musc.edu
I work on treatments for substance use and PTSD, in particular trauma-focused treatments
Travis Edward Baker, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University
travis.e.baker@rutgers.edu
My research focuses on examining and improving cognitive control functioning in substance use disorders using image-guided transcranial magnetic stimulation.
Victoria Banyard, Ph.D.
Professor, Rutgers School of Social Work
victoria.banyard@rutgers.edu
My research involves violence prevention including resilience and bystander intervention.
Jacques Barber, Ph.D.
Dean and Professor, Gordon F. Derner School of Psychology, Adelphi University
jbarber@adelphi.edu
I do psychotherapy research: outcome and process.
Claudia Blackburn, Psy.D.
Expert Content Director/Senior Research Scientist, CDM, Inc.
claudiablpsy@gmail.com
My work is on culturally responsive knowledge translation from science to practice in substance use, mental, and co-occurring disorders.
Sarah J Brislin, Ph.D.
RBHS Instructor, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
sarah.brislin@rutgers.edu
My research focuses on identifying genetic, environmental, and neural risk for externalizing disorders and leveraging this information to improve clinical treatment and assessment of risk..
Qiana L. Brown, Ph.D., MPH, LCSW
Assistant Professor, School of Social Work, Rutgers University
qiana.brown@rutgers.edu
From a health equity lens, Dr. Brown’s research focuses on system-level change to improve maternal and child health, centering on preventing prenatal substance use and examining the role of the built and social environments and health and social policy in shaping substance use and other health outcomes among women, youth and families.
Greta Bushnell, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Epidemiology, Rutgers School of Public Health, Rutgers Center for Pharmacoepidemiology
greta.bushnell@rutgers.edu
My research focuses on studying the use, effectiveness, and safety of pharmaceuticals prescribed to treat mental illnesses in young people.
Tammy Chung, Ph.D.
Professor of Psychiatry, Rutgers University
Tammy.chung@rutgers.edu
I focus my research on adolescent and young adult substance use.
Patrick R. Clifford, Ph.D.
Professor, Rutgers University
patrick.clifford@rutgers.edu
My research centers on research assessment reactivity effects and mechanisms of behavior change underlying AUD treatments.
Fiona Conway, Ph.D.
Associate Director of Research, Addiction Research Institute Assistant Professor, Steve Hicks School of Social Work University of Texas at Austin
fiona.conway@utexas.edu
My research focuses on substance use among adolescents and emerging adults, digital health solutions for substance use disorders, and neurocardiac function and substance use disorders.
Francine Conway, Ph.D.
Chancellor Rutgers University
francine.conway@rutgers.edu
My scholarly focus is on understanding the internal lives of children through two critical areas- aging and child psychopathology.
Nina Cooperman, Psy.D.
Associate Professor, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University
cooperna@rwjms.rutgers.edu
My work has centered around developing and evaluating novel interventions for substance use disorders.
Peter J. Economou , Ph.D., ABPP
Associate Professor, GSAPP, Rutgers University
peter.economou@rutgers.edu
I focus on sports/performance psychology and third wave cognitive and behavioral therapy.
Adriana Espinosa, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, The City College of New York
aespinosa@ccny.cuny.edu
My work seeks to identify inter-intrapersonal and environmental markers of health and health-related behaviors with emphasis on racial and ethnic minorities and immigrant populations.
Dominic Fareri, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Adelphi University
dfareri@adelphi.edu
My work characterizes how the social world shapes decision-making, reward valuation and underlying neural function across the lifespan.
Samantha Farris, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Rutgers School of Arts and Sciences
samantha.farris@rutgers.edu
My work focuses on the role of anxiety and interoceptive sensitivity in behavioral health (e.g., tobacco, alcohol, exercise avoidance), with a sub-focus in female-specific health.
Hyeouk Chris Hahm, Ph.D.
Professor and Assiciate Dean for Research, Boston University School of Social Work.
hahm@bu.edu
My research is on HIV/STI infections among Asian Americans, acculturation, health risk behaviors (tobacco use, binge drinking, sexual activity); Health care utilization among Asian American adolescents and sexual minority populations; Health status and health care utilization among people with mental illness.
Margaret Haney, Ph.D.
Professor of Neurobiology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center
mh235@cumc.columbia.edu
My work involves placebo-controlled studies investigating the abuse-related and potential therapeutic effects of cannabis.
Kristina Jackson, Ph.D.
Professor, Rutgers University, RARC Associate Director of Epidemiology, Etiology, and Prevention
kristina.jackson@rutgers.edu
My work is in initiation and progression of alcohol use in adolescence and young adulthood; environmental and contextual influences on alcohol and cannabis use, including social media.
Professor, Rutgers University, RARC Associate Director of Epidemiology, Etiology, and Prevention
kristina.jackson@rutgers.edu
My work is in initiation and progression of alcohol use in adolescence and young adulthood; environmental and contextual influences on alcohol and cannabis use, including social media.
Jermaine Jones, Ph.D.
Associate Professor/Research Scientist VI, Columbia University Irving Medical Center/New York State Psychiatric Institute
Jermaine.jones@nyspi.columbia.edu
I work on medications development for opioid use disorder and opioid overdose harm reduction.
Debra Kaysen, Ph.D.
Professor, University of Washington
dkaysen@uw.edu
I do etiological and clinical trials research on the impact of trauma, including PTSD and comorbid substance use disorders.
Therese K. Killeen, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina
killeent@musc.edu
I have been doing research in the addiction and comorbidity field for over 25 years.
Anna Konova, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Rutgers University-New Brunswick
anna.konova@rutgers.edu
I am broadly interested in applying principles from decision neuroscience and computational psychiatry to understand mechanisms of addicted behavior and associated subjective and emotional states.
Albert Kopak, Ph.D.
Research Scientist, UNC Health Sciences at the Mountain Area Health Education Center.
amkopak@wcu.edu
My work is focused on behavioral health needs among criminal justice involved populations.
John Kriger, MSM
President, Kriger Consulting
john@krigerconsulting.com
I provide education and consulting services for healthcare and nonprofit organizations.
Lisa Laitman, MSEd
Former Director, Alcohol and Other Drug Assistance Program CAPS, Rutgers University
lisa.laitman@rutgers.edu
I am the director of an on campus alcohol/drug counseling program as part of health and counseling services at Rutgers New Brunswick.
Frances R. Levin, MD
Kennedy-Leavy Professor of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center
frl2@cumc.columbia.edu
I do research broadly on substance use disorders.
Teresa Leyro, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Clinical Program, Rutgers University
teresa.leyro@rutgers.edu
My current research program employs a multi-method approach toward identifying underlying cognitive-affective and biological risks for co-occurring emotional symptomatology and health risk behaviors, with a focus on nicotine dependence.
Lisa Litt, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, The New School for Social Research
drlisalitt@gmail.com
I work on educating clinicians about integrative treatment for substance misuse and traumatic stress.
Teresa Lopez-Castro, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, The City College of New York
lopezcastro.phd.ccny@gmail.com
I am a clinical psychologist whose research focuses on the interplay between traumatic stress and substance misuse. I am especially interested in how a harm reduction framework can help integrate mental health and addiction care models.
Alan Lyme, MSW
Training Director, Phoenix Center, Greenville, SC
alanlyme@gmail.com
I am a social worker specializing in clinical supervision, motivational interviewing, SBIRT, and leadership trainings.
Bob Lynn, Ed.D.
CEO, Addiction and Behavioral Health Alliance
docblynn@outlook.com
Develops methods for the assessment and placement of clients and client centered care coordinated treatment systems focused on research and outcome data.
Charles A Maher, PsyD, CMPC, FAASP
Senior Director, Department of Personal, Team, and Organizational Performance/ also Professor Emeritus of Psychology, Rutgers University, Cleveland Indians Baseball Organization/also GSAPP, Rutgers University
cmaher@indians.com
My professional practice and work is in sport and performance psychology, with a particular emphasis on fostering the mental health of athletes, coaches, and other performers, including teaching such populations how to cope effectively with the risks encountered in competitive, high-stakes environments (people, places, things, circumstances).
Sarah McMahon, Ph.D.
Director, Center on Violence Against Women & Children and Assistant Professor, Rutgers University
smcmahon@ssw.rutgers.edu
My work focuses on understanding the etiology and prevention of violence against women.
Robert Melara, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair of Psychology, The City College of New York
rmelara@ccny.cuny.edu
My research encompasses cognitive neuroscience of attention.
Fellow, Quantitative Psychology, Research Triangle Institute International
amorganlopez@rti.org
My research has a focus on advances in measurement and analysis in behavioral drug and alcoholism treatment contexts. My complementary work focuses on causal inference in non-experimental data, mostly as it relates to the evaluation of substance use and youth violence prevention programs.
J. Christopher Muran, Ph.D.
Associate Dean and Full Professor, Derner School of Psychology, Adelphi University; Mount Sinai Beth Israel Psychotherapy Research Program, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
jcmuran@adelphi.edu
My research has a focus on treatment failure, resistance, alliance ruptures: Intervention & training.
Keith Murphy, MA, LPS, LCADC
Directory of ADAP (Alcohol and Other Drug Assistance Program)
Keith.murphy@rutgers.edu
I create, guide, and manage the ADAP program within the Counseling Center (CAPS) on the Rutgers New Brunswick Campus.
Sonya Norman, Ph.D.
Professor, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry
snorman@ucsd.edu
I work on understanding how best to treat PTSD and other common post traumatic reactions.
Lia Nower, JD, Ph.D.
Professor and Director, Center for Gambling Studies, School of Social Work, Rutgers University
lnower@rutgers.edu
My work focuses on interactive gambling including Internet gambling and sports wagering; etiology and treatment of gambling disorder and comorbidy addictions; and the intersect of video gaming and gambling.
N. Andrew Peterson, Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor; Director, Center for Prevention Science; Co-Director, Northeast and Caribbean Prevention Technology Transfer Center; Rutgers School of Social Work
andrew.peterson@ssw.rutgers.edu
My research is focused on grassroots community groups and empowerment-based interventions to prevent or ameliorate conditions that cause social and health disparities.
Ilana Pinsky, Ph.D.
Affiliate Scholar, Teachers College, Columbia University
pinskyilana@gmail.com
I am a clinical psychologist by training, originally from Brazil, and a researcher focused on public health issues including commercial determinants of health, prevention of substance use and, more recently, implementation and dissemination science.
Suchismita Ray, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Health Informatics, Rutgers School of Health Professions, RBHS
shmita@shp.rutgers.edu
I endeavor to understand neurocognitive mechanisms underlying cocaine and opioid addiction and develop effective behavioral and pharmacological interventions.
Shireen Rizvi, Ph.D.
Professor, Rutgers University
slrizvi@gsapp.rutgers.edu
I study treatment development and dissemination for severe and chronic mental health problems, including suicidal behavior and borderline personality disorder.
Debra Ruisard, DSW, LCSW, LCADC
Psychotherapist, Private Practice; Part time Lecturer, Rutgers School of Social Work
druisardlcsw@gmail.com
I am committed to the treatment of co-occurring trauma and addiction and the education of clinicians and students in treating trauma survivors.
Lissette Saavedra, Ph.D.
Senior Research Psychologist, RTI International
lsaavedra@rti.org
I am an applied developmental psychologist with a focus on mental health services research.
Dipak K. Sarkar, Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor, Director, Endocrine Program, Rutgers University
dipak.sarkar@rutgers.edu
My current research focuses on understanding how stress promotes infection, cancers and alcohol-related diseases using the laboratory rodent as an animal model. Also, we are evaluating the feasibility of cell therapy, gene therapy and tissue-targeted transgenic procedures to understand and prevent stress problems and cancers in normal and alcoholic individuals.
Carolyn Sartor, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Institute for Health, Health Care Policy, and Aging Research
csartor@ifh.rutgers.edu
My program of research is aimed at refining etiological models of risky alcohol, cannabis, and nicotine use in the adolescent to young adult years to reflect variations within and across race/ethnicity and gender. My work integrates developmental and health disparities perspectives to identify socio-environmental and familial influences, including trauma exposure, neighborhood conditions, religious involvement, discrimination, and parenting as well as genetic liability to substance use disorders.
Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Institute for Health, Health Care Policy, and Aging Research
csartor@ifh.rutgers.edu
My program of research is aimed at refining etiological models of risky alcohol, cannabis, and nicotine use in the adolescent to young adult years to reflect variations within and across race/ethnicity and gender. My work integrates developmental and health disparities perspectives to identify socio-environmental and familial influences, including trauma exposure, neighborhood conditions, religious involvement, discrimination, and parenting as well as genetic liability to substance use disorders.
Tracey J. Shors, Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor, Rutgers University
shors@rutgers.edu
I am committed to helping women recover from stress and trauma using the brain fitness program known as MAP Train My Brain.
Valerie Slaymaker, Ph.D.
Vice President of Education and Research, Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation
vslaymaker@hazeldenbettyford.edu
I am a scientist-practitioner who conducts scholastic and clinical research on a variety of addiction-related topics.
Nayland Smith, MS
Senior Vice Chancellor for Finance and Chief Business Officer for Rutgers University
nayland.smith@rutgers.edu
Directs and facilitates financial strategy, management, and strategic planning for Rutgers – New Brunswick.
Damian A. Stanley, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Adelphi University
dstanley@adelphi.edu
My research combines computational approaches with brain imaging to investigate how we learn and make decisions about other people, how these processes are shaped by implicit biases, and how they are in paired in mental disorders.
Marc L. Steinberg, Ph.D.
Professor, Rutgers RWJMS
marc.steinberg@rutgers.edu
I conduct research on tobacco use and dependence, particularly in underserved populations such as those with psychiatric illnesses and socioeconomic disadvantage.
Lea Stewart, Ph.D.
Professor, Rutgers University
lstewart@rutgers.edu
I direct the Center for Communication and Health Issues in the School of Communication and Information at Rutgers.
Anthony Tobia, MD
Professor, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
tobiaat@rwjms.rutgers.edu
Hospital-based consulting psychiatrist who has created and directed comprehensive curricula that teaches behavioral science and psychiatry through popular culture. Related, I am very interested in teaching opportunities at the Center of Alcohol & Substance Use Studies.
Arthur Tomie, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Rutgers University-New Brunswick
tomie@psych.rutgers.edu
I work on: Pavlovian Sign-Tracking Model of Drug Addiction; The Sign-Tracker Trilogy; animal behavior.
Judit Hajnal Ward, Ph.D.
Science Librarian, New Brunswick Libraries, Rutgers University
judit.ward@rutgers.edu
As former Director of Information Services at the Rutgers Center of Alcohol Studies, I keep providing information related to addiction studies for researchers, educators, and addiction professionals.
Mark West, Ph.D.
Professor of Psychology, Rutgers University SAS
markwest@rutgers.edu
My research focuses on neural, immune, and affective measures in animal models of opiate or cocaine addiction.
Helene R. White, Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor Emerita, Rutgers Center of Alcohol & Substance Use Studies
hewhite@smithers.rutgers.edu
I research the development, etiology, consequences and prevention of substance use over the life course.
Jill Williams, MD
Professor of Psychiatry and Director of the Division of Addiction Psychiatry, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
jill.williams@rutgers.edu
My work has been in various aspects of Prevention and Treatment of Substance Use Disorder with expertise in Tobacco Use Disorder, Co-Occurring Disorders, Educating Health Care Providers and Health Care Policy.
Founder/CEO, The Center for Great Expectations
pegw@cge-nj.org
I am passionate about continuing to advance substance use and mental health disorder treatment through the lens of trauma.
Minge Xie, Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor of Statistics, Rutgers University Department of Statistics
mxie@stat.rutgers.edu
My main focus of research is on foundations of data science, statistical inferences, and fusion learning.
Yihong Zhao, Ph.D.
yz2135@cumc.columbia.edu
My research has been heavily focused on using novel pattern discovery and machine learning approaches to help understand the consequences of alcohol and substance misuse at genetic, brain, and behavioral levels.