Learning-based processes of addiction; the application of basic behavioral research to the development of new clinical interventions; alcohol craving; investigating the use of harm reduction methods for reducing DWI recidivism.

Identifying Multiple Mechanisms of Change in Alcoholism Treatment (funded by NIAAA). Investigating four theoretically-relevant behavioral change mechanisms as a way to identify how Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for alcohol dependence influences positive treatment outcomes (in collaboration with Clara M. Bradizza, PhD).

Mechanism of Change, Motivation, and Treatment Outcome in AD-PTSD (funded by NIAAA). Examining if reductions in PTSD symptom severity will lead to improved alcohol treatment outcomes in indviduals with co-occurring PTSD and alcohol dependence. (Award made to Scott F. Coffey, PhD, University of Mississippi.)

Emotional Processing as a Change Mechanism in Alcohol Treatment (funded by NIAAA). Examining whether a reduction of negative emotional responses to drinking trigger situations, via prolonged imaginal exposure, will produce a concomitant reduction in alcohol craving produced by those same cues (in collaboration with Clara M. Bradizza, PhD).

Affect Regulation Training for Alcoholics (funded by NIAAA). Development of a clinical intervention to address the problem of negative affect as it relates to alcohol use and alcohol relapse (in collaboration with Co-Investigators Clara M. Bradizza, PhD, RIA, Scott F. Coffey, PhD, University of Mississippi, and Suzy Bird Gulliver, PhD, Boston University.)

Relapse Among Severely Mentally Ill Alcohol Abusers (funded by NIAAA). Investigating factors that predict who continues to drink following alcohol and mental health treatment versus those individuals who are able to maintain abstinence from alcohol (in collaboration with Principal Investigator Clara M. Bradizza, PhD and Co-investigators Gerard J. Connors, PhD, and Stephen A. Maisto, Syracuse University ).

Contextual Craving for Alcohol (funded by NIAAA).  Tested the effect of context on alcohol craving and alcohol cue reactivity in treatment-seeking alcoholics.

Emotion and Craving in Alcoholics with Co-morbid PTSD (funded by NIAAA). Examined whether a reduction in negative emotion leads to a reduction in alcohol craving in persons with comorbid PTSD and alcohol dependence (in collaboration with Principal Investigator Scott F. Coffey, PhD, of UB’s Department of Psychiatry).