SCHOLARS
HEALTH–FAST Scholars are Postdoctoral Fellows, Early Stage Investigators, and Doctoral Scholars, committed to conducting research
focused on mitigating alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs (ATOD) use and the chronic health conditions that result.
The goal of the HEALTH–FAST Program is to train
the next generation of talented ATOD researchers, particularly scholars from low-resourced neighborhoods, low-income households, and first-generation college graduates.
CURRENT SCHOLARS
Dr. Sarah Tonkin is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Health Promotion Research Center at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. Sarah earned her PhD in Clinical Psychology from The State University of New York at Buffalo. Dr. Tonkin's research seeks to identify psychological treatment mechanisms for smoking cessation and address treatment disparities by examining how these processes vary in populations that tend to benefit less from smoking interventions including individuals with co-occurring psychopathology. To answer these questions, Sarah uses a translational approach that examines laboratory and “real-world” measurement of behavior, affect, and cognition. Her work at HPRC will integrate EMA, psychophysiology, and behavioral tasks to assess mechanisms and disparities.
Dr. Yoojin Cho is a postdoctoral fellow at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Center for Tobacco Research. As a behavioral scientist by training, she conducts research to support evidence-based regulations aimed at reducing the appeal, addictiveness, and toxicity of nicotine products. In her free time, Dr. Cho enjoys reading, listening to music, cooking, and hiking.
Dr. Delvon T. Mattingly is a research assistant professor in the Center for Health Equity Transformation and the Department of Behavioral Science at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine. As a social epidemiologist and health equity researcher, his research aims to better understand the role structural and psychosocial determinants of health shape inequities in substance use, misuse, and associated health outcomes. In his free time, Dr. Mattingly enjoys reading, writing fiction and poetry, playing volleyball, and spending time with family and friends.
Dr. Emma Brett is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience at the University of Chicago. She is a clinical psychologist with interests in behavioral and pharmacological interventions for substance use disorders with an emphasis on tobacco. The primary goal of her research program is to better understand how people make behavioral changes to inform treatments and ultimately reduce substance-related morbidity and mortality. She is particularly interested in developing interventions that are accessible and reduce health inequities in historically underserved groups. During her free time, she enjoys spending time outside with her family and friends, going to concerts, and trying new restaurants.
Jillian Robison is a rising second-year doctoral student in the clinical psychology program at the University of Houston, working with Dr. Michael Zvolensky. She graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a B.A. in psychology. Her line of research broadly focuses on identifying and investigating psychological vulnerability factors associated with health disparities among underserved populations. She is also interested in the transdiagnostic mechanisms that underly the relationship between substance misuse and emotion disorders, aiming to understand how these factors intersect and contribute to overall health outcomes. In her spare time, she loves to read, travel, spend time with friends and family, and play with her dog, Peter.
Leah Lewis is a third-year doctoral student working under the mentorship of Dr. Kirill Larin at the University of Houston. Leah received my B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Hampton University and is currently working towards her Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering with a focus on biomedical/optical imaging. Her primary research interests include utilizing different forms of optical imaging for studying the effect of commonly abused substances (alcohol and tobacco) on embryo brain development. Her goal is to use her substance abuse research to gain a deeper understanding of the consequences of these substances on fetal development to further help discourage mothers from using teratogenic substances during pregnancy. Her hobbies include dancing and working out, and in her free time, she also enjoys trying new restaurants, and spending time with friends and family.
