The psychopathology of addictive disorders in adolescents and adults including assessment, diagnosis, and treatment; behavioral medicine
My research is in the area of drug addiction. I do studies on the processes of drug craving, the causes of drug dependence, the diagnosis of dependence, adolescent drug use, and the interaction of biological and psychological factors in the control of addictive behaviors. My craving work focuses on understanding the role of drug craving in addiction. I have also done research on the variables that regulate the development of addiction in young cigarette smokers. In addition, I conduct research on the processes that motivate addictive behavior. In some of our research, my students and I examine addicts’ craving reactions to cues that are related to drug use. For example, smokers might be shown pictures of someone lighting a cigarette. Recently, we have looked at cue reactions when smokers are presented with cues in their natural environment. In other research, we are developing new behavioral and biological measures to track the smoking behavior of low-level smokers.
I was awarded the American Psychological Association Distinguished Scientific Award for Early Career Contribution to Psychology in 1993. I have been on the editorial boards of several journals including the Journal of Abnormal Psychology, Psychotherapy, Studies on Alcohol, Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology and Nicotine and Tobacco Research. I have also served as a member of several NIH scientific review panels and have been a member of the Scientific Core Group of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Tobacco Etiology Research Network (TERN) since the inception of the network in 1997. I am currently a member of the Research, Prevention, and Intervention for Addictions (RPIA), National Institutes of Health Review Committee.