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Contact Us

202-885-1792

Fax: 202-885-1792

bphp@american.edu

Asbury Room 137 (North Wing) on a map

Behavioral Pharmacology and Health Promotion Laboratory 4400 Massachusetts Avenue NW Washington, DC 20016 United States

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Behavioral Pharmacology and Health Promotion Lab

Our Research

The Behavioral Pharmacology and Health Promotion Laboratory (BPHP) conducts research on cognitive and behavioral factors that influence drug taking and drug effects. The goal of this research is to better understand the development and treatment of drug dependence. BPHP focuses on tobacco and caffeine; two widely used and important psychoactive drugs, which also serve as suitable models for examining basic factors in drug dependence. On-going studies in the laboratory are examining:

  • Behavioral treatments for nicotine dependence.
  • Factors that influence caffeine physical dependence and withdrawal
  • The development and influence of drug outcome expectancies
  • The role that negative affect plays in smoking maintenance and relapse
  • Reactions to cigarettes with and without nicotine

Online Resources: Tobacco

Training

The Behavioral Pharmacology and Health Promotion Laboratory provides training opportunities in human experimental and clinical research for graduate students, undergraduate students, and high school students.

CURRENT LAB MEMBERS

  • Laura Juliano, PhD, Director
  • Darian Weaver (Clinical doctoral student)
  • Lindsey Sparrock (Behavior, Cognition & Neuroscience doctoral student)
  • Eric Turnquist (Clinical doctoral student)

LAB GRADUATES

  • Khatidja Ali, MA (2007)
  • Sarah Moore, MA (2007)
  • Lisa Fucito, PhD (2008)
  • Paul Harrell, PhD (2010)
  • Pete Kardel, MA
  • Lisa Notes-Colburn, MA
  • Britta Anderson, PhD (2011)
  • Ed Huntley, PhD (2011)
  • Babita Das, PhD (2014)
  • Katy Ross, PhD (2014)
  • Rachel Burgower, MA (2014)
  • Sadaf Lotfalian, MA (2015)
  • Christine Muench, PhD (2015)
  • Greta Raglan, PhD (2016)
  • Julia Harris, MA (2020)
  • Tommy Gunawan, PhD (2020)
  • Kristina Murani, PhD (2020)
  • Naomi Stahl, PhD (2021)

Training for Graduate Students

The Department of Psychology at American University has graduate training programs for students interested in advanced study in psychology including a Masters of Arts program and doctoral training programs in Behavioral Neuroscience and Clinical Psychology. BPHP provides training opportunities for interested students from the MA, Behavioral Neuroscience, and Clinical Psychology programs. More information about the psychology graduate program at American University and application procedures can be found at CAS Graduate Admissions. Prospective students can also contact Dr. Juliano directly at juliano@american.edu.

Undergraduate Students

BPHP provides opportunities for undergraduate students at American University to gain experience in the design and implementation of human experimental and clinical research as well as data management and analysis. This is vital experience for students who are interested in attending graduate school. Undergraduate research and data assistants (RDAs) attend weekly laboratory meetings and are actively involved in all phases of research in the laboratory. Undergraduate RDAs are asked to commit a minimum of 8 hours a week to the laboratory. Students who are interested in joining the laboratory should contact Dr. Juliano.

High School Students

High school students in the psychology program at Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda, Maryland can volunteer at BPHP for course credit.