Dr. Denise Hien
Vice Provost for Research, Chancellor-Provost’s Office, Rutgers-New Brunswick; Center Director and Helen E. Chaney Endowed Chair in Alcohol Studies; Professor, Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology
Denise Hien, Ph.D., ABPP, is the Vice Provost for Research, Chancellor-Provost's Office, Rutgers-New Brunswick; Director of CAS; the Helen E. Chaney Endowed Chair in Alcohol Studies and Professor in the... Read More
Dr. Margaret (Peggy) Swarbrick
Associate Director, Center of Alcohol & Substance Use Studies; Research Professor, Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology
Dr. Swarbrick is the Associate Director of the Center of Alcohol & Substance Use Studies and a Research Professor in the Applied Department of GSAPP. Over her career, she has... Read More
Dr. Brandon Alderman
Associate Professor, Department of Kinesiology and Health, School of Arts and Sciences
Brandon Alderman, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor and Vice Chair of Education and Administration in the Department of Kinesiology and Health, School of Arts and Sciences. He has established a... Read More
Dr. Marsha Bates
Distinguished Professor, Department of Kinesiology and Health, School of Arts and Sciences
Marsha Bates, Ph.D., is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Health, School of Arts and Sciences and directs the Cardiac Neuroscience Laboratory at the Center of Alcohol... Read More
Dr. Jennifer Buckman
Associate Professor, Department of Kinesiology and Health, School of Arts and Sciences
Jennifer Buckman, Ph.D. is an active research scientist at the Center of Alcohol & Substance Use Studies and Associate Professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Health, School of Arts... Read More
Dr. Angelo M. DiBello
Assistant Professor at the Center of Alcohol & Substance Use Studies and the Applied Department of Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology
Dr. Angelo DiBello is an Assistant Professor in the Center of Alcohol & Substance Use Studies and the Applied Psychology Department of the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology... Read More
Email: angelo.dibello@rutgers.edu
Dr. Denise Hien
Vice Provost for Research, Chancellor-Provost’s Office, Rutgers-New Brunswick; Center Director and Helen E. Chaney Endowed Chair in Alcohol Studies; Professor, Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology
Denise Hien, Ph.D., ABPP, is the Vice Provost for Research, Chancellor-Provost's Office, Rutgers-New Brunswick; Director of CAS; the Helen E. Chaney Endowed Chair in Alcohol Studies and Professor in the... Read More
Dr. Matthew Lee
Assistant Professor, Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology
Matthew Lee, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Applied Psychology Department of the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology. He is a lifespan-developmental addictions researcher at the Center... Read More
Dr. Mateo Leganes-Fonteneau
Assistant Research Professor, Cardiac Neuroscience Laboratory
Dr. Leganes-Fonteneau is an assistant research professor at the Cardiac Neuroscience Laboratory. He joined CAS as a post-doctoral researcher in 2018, working with Dr. Marsha Bates and Dr. Jennifer Buckman.... Read More
Office: Smithers Hall, Office 138, Busch Campus, CAS, Piscataway
Email: mateo.leganes@rutgers.edu
Phone: 732-763-5187
Curriculum Vitae: 
Dr. Anthony P. Pawlak
Research Analyst & Statistician
Anthony Pawlak is research analyst and statistician for the behavioral and psychophysiology laboratory of Dr. Marsha E. Bates at the Center of Alcohol & Substance Use Studies (CAS) at Rutgers... Read More
Dr. Alexandria Bauer, Ph.D.
Assistant Research Professor
Dr. Bauer received her BA in Psychology from San Diego State University in 2013, after transferring from community college, and she earned both her master’s degree and Ph.D. in Clinical... Read More
Curriculum Vitae:
Dr. Lesia Ruglass
Adjunct Associate Research Professor, Center of Alcohol & Substance Use Studies, Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology
Lesia M. Ruglass, Ph.D., is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and an Adjunct Associate Research Professor at the Center of Alcohol and Substance Use Studies at Rutgers University. Her research interests... Read More
Email: lesia.ruglass@rutgers.edu
Dr Tanya Saraiya
Dr. Tanya Saraiya is a licensed clinical psychologist and Assistant Professor in the Center of Alcohol & Substance Use Studies and Department of Clinical Psychology in GSAPP. Tanya's research focuses... Read More
Dr. Margaret (Peggy) Swarbrick
Associate Director, Center of Alcohol & Substance Use Studies; Research Professor, Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology
Dr. Swarbrick is the Associate Director of the Center of Alcohol & Substance Use Studies and a Research Professor in the Applied Department of GSAPP. Over her career, she has... Read More
Dr. Helene R. White
Helene R. White is a Distinguished Professor Emerita of Sociology having held a joint appointment in the Rutgers Center of Alcohol Studies and Sociology Department until she retired in 2019.... Read More
Dr. Lei Yu
Distinguished Professor, Department of Genetics, Division of Life Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences
Lei Yu, Ph.D., is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Genetics and Human Genetics Institute, and leads the neuropharmacogenetics lab at the Center of Alcohol & Substance Use Studies... Read More
Jordan Gette
Dr. Jordan Gette is a postdoctoral fellow through the Clinical Research Fellowship in Trauma and Addictions at the Rutgers Center of Alcohol and Substance Use Studies. She graduated from Texas... Read More
Sarah Grace Uhouse
Graduate Assistant
Sarah Grace Uhouse is a fourth year Clinical Psychology doctoral student working with Dr. Marsha Bates in the Center of Alcohol & Substance Use Studies at Rutgers University. After graduating... Read More
Diana Broccoli
Diana brings years of experience, caring and passion to our work. Since 2015 Diana worked as a Secretary 1 for the UBHC Community Outreach Department, a very large department with... Read More
Paul Candon
Editorial Director, Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs
Paul Candon is the Editorial Director of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. He oversees all aspects of the journal's editing, website, and business operations. He has a... Read More
Helen Castro
Senior Manuscript Editor, Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs
Helen A. Castro is the Senior Manuscript Editor for the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. She recently completed a Master of Communication and Media Studies degree here at... Read More
Annabel Kady
Annabel Kady is the full-time Trauma Team Leader for the Lifespan Development and Addiction lab at the Rutgers Center of Alcohol & Substance Use Studies. She graduated from Johns Hopkins... Read More
Thomas D. Kwan, M.A.
Thomas D. Kwan, M.A. is a full-time research assistant for Dr. Matthew R. Lee at the Lifespan Development and Addiction Recovery Lab in Rutgers University's Center of Alcohol and Substance... Read More
Email: thomas.kwan@rutgers.edu
Jayshree Mariwala
Business Manager
Jayshree Mariwala is the Business Manager for the Center of Alcohol & Substance Use Studies. She oversees the financial management of sponsored and non sponsored programs. She also oversee the... Read More
Lisette Smith
Lisette has over 20 years’ experience in Human Resources Management in the nonprofit sector. She has dedicated her career working with organizations and NGOs that service underserved populations in the... Read More
Office: Smithers 207B
Phone: 848-445-3566
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.
Associate Professor of Medicine, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
ra768@rwjms.rutgers.edu
My research is on the association of sleep disorders on cardiometabolic outcomes and addiction.
Sudie Back, Ph.D.
Professor, Medical University of South Carolina
backs@musc.edu
I work generally on substance use and PTSD treatment
Travis Edward Baker, Ph.D.
Assistant 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.
Research Instructor, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
sarah.brislin@rutgers.edu
My research focuses on identifying genetic and neural risk for externalizing disorders.
Qiana L. Brown, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, School of Social Work and Department of Urban-Global Public Health, School of Public Health, Rutgers University
qiana.brown@rutgers.edu
My research examines the role of the built and social environment in shaping substance use and other health outcomes among women, youth, and families – with an emphasis on examining prenatal substance use.
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.
Doris F. Chang, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Silver School of Social Work, New York University
dfc286@nyu.edu
My research seeks to address disparities in the quality of mental health services for racial and ethnic minorities.
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.
Assistant Professor, Steve Hicks School of Social Work, University of Texas at Austin
fiona.conway@utexas.edu
My research investigates health behaviors among young adults with a focus on substance use, trauma, athlete health, and aggression.
Francine Conway, Ph.D.
Dean and Distinguished Professor, GSAPP, Rutgers University
francine.conway@gsapp.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/stress in chronic disease and behavioral health (e.g., tobacco, cannabis, physical inactivity behaviors).
Jeff Foote, Ph.D.
Co-founder and Executive Director, Center For Motivation & Change
jfoote@motivationandchange.com
I work on psychologist and business owners running evidence-based treatment programs and foundations.
Frank L Greenagel II, MPAP, MSW, LCSW, LCADC, ICADC, CASAC, ACSW, CJC, CCS
Instructor, Rutgers Center of Alcohol & Substance Use Studies and Adjunct Professor, Rutgers School of Social Work
flg2@aol.com
I do substance abuse and mental health work with cops, soldiers, and veterans with some teaching and consulting sprinkled in.
Hyeouk Chris Hahm, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Boston University School of Social Work
hahm@bu.edu
My research is on Asian American women’s health– mental, sexual, physical health.
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.
Jermaine Jones, Ph.D.
Associate Professor/Research Scientist IV, Columbia University 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.
Associate Professor, Western Carolina University
amkopak@wcu.edu
My work is focused on behavioral health needs among criminal justice involved populations.
John Kriger, MSM, LCADC, CPS
President, Kriger Consulting
amkopak@wcu.edu
I provide education and consulting services for healthcare organizations.
Lisa Laitman, MSEd
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.
Assistant Professor, The City College of New York
lopezcastro.phd.ccny@gmail.com
I am clinical psychologist whose research focuses on interplay between traumatic stress and substance misuse.
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
I work on program development, and evaluation – patient and program advocacy.
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.
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, LPC, LCADC
Recovery Counselor, Counseling Center, Rutgers University
Keith.murphy@rutgers.edu
I primarily work with students at the Rutgers Recovery House.
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.
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.
Anne E. Ray, Ph.D.
Instructor, Rutgers School of Public Health; Department of Health Behavior, Society, and Policy
aer108@sph.rutgers.edu
Broadly, I am interested in the etiology and prevention of high-risk substance use among adolescent and emerging adult populations.
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.
Shireen Rizvi, Ph.D.
Associate 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
Consultant for Trauma Informed Care, The Center for Great Expectations
druisardlcsw@gmail.com
I am committed to the research and treatment of co-occurring trauma and addiction, with a special interest in relationship-based interventions with impaired caregivers and their children.
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.
Board of Governor Distinguished Professor and Director, Rutgers University
dipak.sarkar@rutgers.edu
I aim towards determining the role of neuro-endocrine-immune system in controlling fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.
Tracey J. Shors, Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor and Director of Graduate Studies, 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
Chief Business and Strategy officer, GSAPP, Rutgers University
naysmith@gsapp.rutgers.edu
My charge is to explore, define and execute innovation (Business & Technology) that will further the field of mental health.
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.
Associate 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
I created, direct and teach a comprehensive curriculum that teaches behavioral science and psychiatry through popular culture.
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.
Cathy Spatz Widom, Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor of Psychology, John Jay College and Graduate Center of the City University of New York
cwidom@jjay.cuny.edu
I have been studying the longterm consequences of child abuse and neglect.
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.
Terry Wilson, Ph.D.
Oscar K Buros Professor, GSAPP, Rutgers University
tewilson@gsapp.rutgers.edu
Throughout my career, I have focused on the application of social learning/social cognitive theory to the analysis and treatment of clinical problems.
Wayne Wirta, M.Div
President/CEO, NCADD-NJ
wwirta@ncaddnj.org
I oversee addictions related advocacy and care management.
Nancy Wolff, Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor, Rutgers University
nwolff@ejb.rutgers.edu
I research trauma and substance use among incarcerated men and women.
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 confidence distributions and the foundation of statistical inferences.
Yihong Zhao, Ph.D.
yihong.zhoa@rutgers.edu
My search 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.