Biomedical Graduate Studies

Description of Research Expertise

Research Interests
I am a clinical psychologist and conduct research in translational science, medication development, and neurocognition applied to nicotine dependence. My primary area of research has focused on identifying risk factors for smoking relapse, with a focus on cognitive control, decision-making, and stress, and evaluating novel treatments to improve abstinence rates. My work leverages tools from the fields of psychology, neuropharmacology, and cognitive neuroscience to understand the mechanisms that underlie smoking relapse and mechanisms of efficacy of novel interventions.

Keywords
Addiction, Nicotine dependence, Cognition, HIV, Decision-Making, Stress

Research Projects
Several of my current research projects are focused on the intersection of smoking, HIV, and cognitive function:
One project is investigating whether HIV-infected smokers experience greater withdrawal-related cognitive deficits and whether these deficits explain the high smoking rate in this population.

In collaboration with Center for AIDS Research, we are also evaluating whether targeting the cholinergic pathway among HIV-infected individuals suppresses inflammation and reverses neurocognitive deficits and whether this effect is stronger in chronic tobacco users.