Stephanie M. Gorka Email: sgorka@umd.edu

Background Information

In May 2008 I graduated from The University of Maryland with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. I am now a full-time research assistant for the CAPER lab working on several different research projects. Specifically, I am the project coordinator for a study examining the underlying variables that determine drug of choice among inner-city drug users as well as a study assessing the relationship between distress tolerance and risky behavior among adolescents. In addition, I am working on an imaging studying which explores the neurobiological factors of distress tolerance in cocaine users. As an undergraduate, I did my own study examining the relationship between Borderline Personality Disorder, Substance Use Disorders and treatment outcome. This project was awarded by The University of Maryland’s Summer Senior Scholars Program in May of 2007. In the future I hope to enroll in a doctoral program in clinical psychology.

Research Interests

My main research interests are in dual diagnosis and integrated care. More specifically, I am interested in how dual diagnosis effects treatment success in substance abuse treatment programs and what factors can facilitate or impede the process. I am especially interested in dual diagnosis among underserved populations such as African Americans and Native Americans.