 |
Laura MacPherson, Ph.D. Research Assistant Professor Associate Director, Center for Addictions, Personality, and Emotion Research Center for Addictions, Personality, and Emotion Research Department of Psychology University of Maryland College Park, MD 20742 Office: 2103E, Cole Field House Phone: 301-405-7895 Fax: 301-405-3223 E-mail:
lmacpherson@psyc.umd.edu |
| Bio |
Background Information
Dr. MacPherson received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the San Diego State University/University of California, San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology in 2005 following completion of her clinical internship at the Brown Medical School. Subsequently, she was awarded a 2-year NIDA funded T32 Postdoctoral Fellowship at Brown’s Center for Alcohol and Addictions Studies where she was also Project Director of a NIDA R01 grant investigating a brief motivational intervention for substance use among adolescents with psychiatric comorbidity. Dr. MacPherson recently joined the Department of Psychology as a Research Assistant Professor and serves as Associate Director at the affiliated Center for Addictions, Personality, and Emotion Research (CAPER). She was recently awarded a NIDA Career Development Grant (K23 DA023143) investigating the relationship between distress tolerance and adolescent smoking cessation.
Research Interests
Dr. MacPherson's research focuses on the progression and cessation of substance use behaviors among adolescents and young adults, with a particular focus on instrument development and elucidating processes underlying adolescent smoking cessation to improve youth-tailored interventions. Her primary research interests include: 1) examining distress tolerance as a predictor of relapse among adolescent smokers, 2) developing dynamic, ecologically valid assessment paradigms of distress tolerance for youth and young adults, and 3) developing instruments targeting cognitive and behavioral processes in adolescent substance use self-change. In addition, Dr. MacPherson conducts research developing and testing behavioral activation treatments for low income adult smokers with affective vulnerabilities.
Dr. MacPherson mentors graduate students in the Clinical Psychology Program in conjunction with Dr. Lejuez through the Center for Addictions, Personality, and Emotion Research (CAPER). Interested students should be sure to mention both Dr. MacPherson and Dr. Lejuez in their application for admission.
Selected Publications
MacPherson, L. & Myers, M.G. (in press). Examination of a process model of adolescent smoking self-change efforts in relation to gender. Journal of Child and Adolescent Substance Abuse.
MacPherson, L., Stipelman, B.A., Duplinsky, M., Brown, R.A., & Lejuez, C.W. (in press). Distress tolerance and pre-smoking treatment attrition: Examination of moderating relationships. Addictive Behaviors.
MacPherson, L.,Strong, D.R., & Myers, M.G. (2008). Using an item response model to examine the nicotine dependence construct as characterized by the HONC and the mFTQ among adolescent smokers. Addictive Behaviors, 33, 880-894.
Myers, M.G. & MacPherson, L., (2008). Adolescent reasons for quitting smoking: Initial psychometric evaluation. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 22, 129-134.
MacPherson, L., Strong, D.R., Kahler, C.W., Abrantes, A.M., Ramsey, S., & Brown, R.A. (2007). Association of post smoking treatment change with future smoking and cessation efforts among adolescents with psychiatric comorbidity. Nicotine and Tobacco Research, 9, 1297-1307.
Myers, M.G., MacPherson, L., Jones, L., & Aarons, G. (2007). Measuring adolescent smoking cessation strategies: Instrument development and initial evaluation. Nicotine and Tobacco Research, 9, 1131-1138
MacPherson, L., Myers, M.G., & Johnson, M. (2006). Adolescent definitions of change in smoking behavior: An investigation. Nicotine and Tobacco Research, 8, 683-687.
MacPherson, L., Frissell, K.C., Brown, S.A., & Myers, M.G. (2006). Adolescent substance use problems. In, Mash, E.J., & Barkley, R.A. (Eds.). Treatment of childhood disorders (3rd edition). p.731-777.
MacPherson, L., & Myers, M.G. (2004). Invariance study of an adolescent survey-based smoking-related cognitions scale: Examination across Hispanic & Caucasian groups. Preventive Medicine, 39 (5), 1027-1036.
Myers, M.G., & MacPherson, L. (2004). Smoking cessation efforts among substance-abusing adolescents. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 73, 209-213.
Grants
Currently Funded
Distress Tolerance and Adolescent Smoking Cessation
Principal Investigator: Laura MacPherson, Ph.D.
Agency: National Institute on Drug Abuse
Type and Number: K23 DA023143
Project Period: 3 years
Total Direct Costs: $514,368
Overall Goal: To provide training in biobehavioral and affective mechanisms in adolescent smoking,
relapse phenomena, and basic research. The primary research aim is to examine the pre-quit influence
of distress tolerance on relapse to smoking in adolescents.
Investigating College Student Cigarette Smoking Self-Change
Principal Investigator: Mark G. Myers, Ph.D.
Role: Consultant/Co-Investigator
Agency: California Tobacco Related Disease Research Program
Type and Number: 16IT-0208
Total Project Period: 2 years
Total Direct Costs: $138,596Overall Goal: To develop measures of college student cigarette smoking cessation motives, methods, and outcome expectancies.
Mood Management Phone Counseling in Smoking Cessation
Principal Investigator: David R. Strong, Ph.D.
Role: Co-Investigator (with Subcontract to the University of Maryland)
Agency: National Institute on Drug Abuse
Type and Number: R01 DA017947
Project Period (of subcontract): 6 months
Total Subcontract costs: $3,696
Overall Goal: To develop and obtain preliminary data on the efficacy of proactive
telephone counseling for smoking cessation that integrates cognitive-behavioral mood management
skills training for depression.
Under Review
Behavioral Measurement of Negative Reinforcement in Adolescent Alcohol Use/Abuse
Principal Investigator: Carl W. Lejuez, Ph.D.
Role: Co-Investigator
Agency: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
Type and Number: R21 AA017685
Project Period: 2 years
Total Direct Costs: $194,777
Priority Score: 217 (First submission)
Overall Goal: To develop and validate an assessment tool that focuses on the role of
negative reinforcement processes (to avoid and/or ameliorate negative emotions and experiences)
underlying adolescent alcohol use and problems.
Dynamic Assessment of Distress Tolerance as a Risk Factor for Young Adult Substance Abuse
Principal Investigator: Laura MacPherson, Ph.D.
Agency: Peter F. McManus Charitable Trust
Type and Number: Foundation grant
Total Project Period: 1 year
Overall Goal: To translate novel laboratory assessments of distress tolerance to a more ecologically valid paradigm in order to understand how avoidance of emotional discomfort is associated with misuse of substances in the daily lives of young adults.