Motivational and behavioral interventions for substance abuse treatment, health risk reduction, and health promotion; alcohol's influence on risky sexual behavior and sexual aggression.

Brief Motivational Intervention to Promote Oral Health (funded by NIDCR). Developing and pilot testing a brief motivational oral and dental health promotion intervention for use with individuals undergoing inpatient treatment for alcohol dependence (in collaboration with Co-investigators Sebastian Ciancio, D.D.S., UB School of Dental Medicine and Gerard J. Connors, Ph.D.).

Changes in Women’s HIV Risk Following Alcohol Treatment (funded by NIAAA). Evaluating the extent to which women's alcohol use and other variables are related to HIV risk-related behavior before and after entry into substance abuse treatment (in collaboration with Co-investigator Maria Testa, Ph.D.).

Restraint and Attributions: Risk Factors in Alcohol Abuse (funded by NIAAA).  Examining drinking restraint and the preoccupation with controlling alcohol consumption as a risk factor for misuse of alcohol and alcohol problems (in collaboration with Principal Investigator R. Lorraine Collins, Ph.D., of UB’s School of Public Health and Health Professions, and Co-investigator Tenko Raykov, Ph.D.).

Preventing Alcohol-related STD/HIV and Assault (funded by NIAAA).  Investigating whether reducing alcohol use among young women may be an effective means of preventing STD/HIV infection and sexual assault (in collaboration with Principal Investigator Maria Testa, Ph.D. and Co-investigator Jennifer Livingston, Ph.D.).

Dissemination of a MI-based Preparatory Procedure (funded by NIAAA). Investigating the dissemination and "real world" effectiveness of a motivational interviewing-(MI)-based preparatory procedure designed to reduce early attriition from alcoholism outpatient treatment (in collaboration with Principal Investigator Kimberly S. Walitzer, Ph.D. and Co-investigator Gerard J. Connors, Ph.D.).

Facilitating Involvement in AA During Alcoholism Outpatient Treatment (funded by NIAAA). Examining the effectiveness of two strategies designed to facilitate clients' involvement in Alcoholics Anonymous during alcoholism outpatient treatment (in collaboration with Principal Investigator Kimberly S. Walitzer, Ph.D. and Co-investigator Gerard J. Connors, Ph.D.).

Enhancing HIV Prevention Through Drinking Reduction (funded by NIAAA). Evaluating the impact of two-session motivational interventions that focused on drinking reduction, HIV risk reduction and their combination among male and female college students.

Adolescent Alcohol Use and High Risk Sexual Behavior (funded by NIAAA). In a longitudinal sample, examining the relationship between alcohol use and sexual behavior that increases risk for infection with AIDS and other diseases (in collaboration with Principal Investigator M. Lynne Cooper, Ph.D., University of Missouri-Columbia.)