CBEHR Seminars
The Center for Behavioral Economic Health offers research seminars on a variety of topics.
Upcoming Events
Spring 2025
Tuesdays, 4-5 p.m. ET via Zoom
April 8, 4-5 p.m.
Title and registration link: TBA
Cynthia Pietras, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Psychology, Western Michigan University
Dr. Pietras’ area of expertise in behavioral analysis include experimental analysis of human and nonhuman behavior, pro-social behavior (e.g., cooperation, altruism) and aggressive behavior, risky choices and self-control, behavioral pharmacology and behavioral ecology.
Donations
Gifts support ongoing CBEHR activities such as our monthly seminar series hosting national, university and community experts speaking on topics ranging from basic and applied science to community applications. It includes our annual Early Career Showcase of emerging pre- or post-doctoral investigators. Contributions help create a travel and research assistance program for student investigators to disseminate and communicate behavioral economic research and applications.
Recordings and Archives
February 11th: Valuation of delayed alcohol and hyper-palatable food: Caveats to Reinforcer Pathology Model
Richard Yi, Ph.D., Professor, Director, Cofrin Logan Center for Addiction Research & Treatment, Department of Psychology, The University of Kansas
Dr. Yi employs behavioral economic approaches to examine basic decision and behavioral processes associated with health, with focus on valuation of delayed outcomes (delay discounting) and dynamic inconsistency as principal factors in addiction and relapse.
His research has also explored approaches to remediate accelerated delay discounting associated with health-compromising behaviors. He is also broadly interested in the intersection of intertemporal and interpersonal decision-making.
Wednesday, September 11th, 4 p.m.–5 p.m. via Zoom: Preclinical Evaluations of Contextual and Contingency Control over Relapse through Crowdsourcing
Christopher Podlesnik, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Florida
Dr. Podlesnik’s research focuses on the role of fundamental conditioning processes in choice and the relapse of operant behavior, with interests in translating this research to understand and develop behavioral treatments for challenging behavior.
Dr. Podlesnik served as Associate Editor for the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior and Behavioral Processes, past President of the Society for the Quantitative Analyses of Behavior, and as a board member for the Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.
View Recording of Dr. Podlesnik’s Seminar
Tuesday, October 8th, 4 p.m.–5 p.m. via Zoom: Testing Theories and Technology Together
Early Career Speaker, Neo Gebru, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Scholar, Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies (CAAS), Brown University
Dr. Gebru is an NIH MOSAIC (Maximizing Opportunities for Scientific and Academic Independent Careers Awards) Scholar working to develop and test digital interventions aimed at health behavior change.
His research explores behavioral mechanisms involved in human substance use and sexual behaviors, while also applying behavioral economic concepts and technology-based approaches to better understand, and intervene upon, substance use and related negative consequences, particularly among young adults.
Dr. Gebru received his Ph.D. from the University of Florida and is currently conducting post-doctoral research at Brown University with a concentration in Substance Use and HIV Research. His research has been supported by various national and international organizations, including the National Institutes of Health and the American Psychological Association.
View Recording of Dr. Gebru’s Seminar
Tuesday, November 12th, 4 p.m.–5 p.m. via Zoom: Alternatives to Animal Testing—The Now, the New and the Next
Thomas Hartung, M.D., Ph.D., Director, Johns Hopkins Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing
Doerenkamp-Zbinden Chair Professor, Johns Hopkins University
Dr. Hartung steers the revolution in toxicology to move away from 50+ year-old animal tests to organoid cultures and the use of artificial intelligence. He served as head of the European Center for the Validation of Alternative Methods of the European Commission (2002-2008) and is involved in implementing the 2007 National Research Council vision document “Toxicity Testing in the 21st Century: A vision and a strategy.”
He has furthered the translation of concepts of evidence-based medicine to toxicology, which aims for systematic assessment of the quality of all tools for regulatory toxicology and the development of new approaches based on annotated pathways of toxicity (the Human Toxome).
Tuesdays, 4 p.m.–5 p.m.
January 16th: Engaging Parents in Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention
Rob Turrisi, Ph.D., Professor, Biobehavioral Health and Prevention Research Center, The Pennsylvania State University
Dr. Turrisi has been engaged in research on prevention science topics for more than 35 years. His initial work investigated methods for reducing drunk driving—a subject on which he is passionate and continues to engage with graduate fellows and his research team. His research also includes externally funded studies on brief parent interventions, substance abuse prevention, and skin cancer prevention.
Co-sponsored by the Department of Health Education and Behavior, Southern HIV and Alcohol Research Consortium, and CBEHR
View Recording of January 16 Seminar
February 13th: 5th Annual CBEHR Science Exchange via Zoom
Student and Early Career Investigator Presentations
View Recording of February 13 Seminar
April 9th: Gambling as a Target for Health Behavior Change via Zoom
Jeremiah Weinstock, Ph.D., Professor and Department Chair, Department of Psychology, Saint Louis University
Dr. Weinstock’s clinical and research efforts center on addressing the difficulties in helping individuals with addictive disorders make lasting and meaningful changes in their lives, with emphasis on the characterization and treatment of gambling disorders.
Much of his research is translational and focuses on measures to assess gambling disorder and randomized clinical trials examining the efficacy of psychosocial interventions, such as motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioral therapy and contingency management. He also maintains a small clinical practice focused on gambling disorder.
Second Tuesday of the month: 4 p.m.–5 p.m. via Zoom
September 12th: Enhancing the Efficacy of Brief Alcohol Intervention for Higher-Risk Emerging Adults
James G. Murphy, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology, University of Memphis
QR code to the recording of Dr. Murphy’s presentation:
October 10th: Integrating Substance Use Treatments within HIV Clinics
Karen Cropsey, Psy.D., Vivian Conaster-Turner Professor of Psychiatry, University of Alabama at Birmingham
Dr. Cropsey’s research and clinical interests center on treating addiction in vulnerable populations such as individuals in the criminal justice system and persons living with HIV/AIDS.
She has several ongoing NIH-funded projects on tobacco intervention and alcohol research. She has an ongoing naloxone training project to prevent opioid overdose
She is Vice Chair for Clinical Research in the UAB Department of Psychiatry and Neurobiology, directs the Center for Addiction and Pain Intervention and Treatment, and is active in the Center for AIDS Research Zambia Alabama HIV Alcohol Comorbidities Program (ZAMBAMA).
November 14th: Environmental Sustainability and Behavioral Economics
Brett Gelino, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Johns Hopkins University
Dr. Gelino’s research interests focus on behavior change and demand characteristics associated with public health and sustainable living. His long-term goal is to influence policy change aimed at promoting ecologically responsible habits and regulatory science via behavioral economic investigation and the application of behavioral sciences.
He did his doctoral work in the Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas before joining the Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine as a postdoctoral research fellow.
Second Tuesday of the month: 4 p.m.–5 p.m. via Zoom
January 17th: 4th Annual CBEHR Science Exchange
Student and early career investigator presentations.
February 14th: Contextual Influences on Reinforcing Value for Addictive Substances: Examples from Laboratory and Neuroimaging Research
Michael Amlung, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Associate Scientist, Associate Director for Training, Coffrin Logan Center for Addiction Research and Treatment, Department of Applied Behavioral Science, The University of Kansas
Dr. Amlung’s research examines factors that contribute to pathological decision-making in individuals with substance use disorders, the behavioral and brain basis of motivation to use alcohol and other drugs, and the effects of environmental contexts and physiological states on addictive behaviors.
Dr. Amlung’s research is funded by grants by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and other institutional grants and awards.
April 11th: Behavior Economic Demand for Cannabis: Approaches, Methodological Considerations and Public Health Impact
Elizabeth Aston, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Behavioral and Social Sciences (Research), Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University
Dr. Aston’s research includes qualitative methods, laboratory marijuana administration methodology, behavioral economic theory, and co-use of alcohol and marijuana. Dr. Aston was awarded a K01 career development award from the National Institute on Drug Abuse in 2015 to conduct qualitative and quantitative research to modify and validate a behavioral economic measure of demand for marijuana.
She examines predictors of problematic cannabis use and the relative reinforcing value of marijuana.
Second Tuesday of the month: 4 p.m.–5 p.m.
September 13th: Behavioral and Economic Demand Across the Translational Continuum
Justin Strickland, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Science, Johns Hopkins University
Dr. Strickland’s research focuses on the use of behavioral economics as a theoretical framework to address issues of public health significance to include addiction and sexual health. He is also interested in the behavioral mechanisms underlying psychedelic drug effects and treatment efficacy.
October 11th: Contextual Influences on Cannabis and Alcohol Demand
Erin Ferguson, M.S., M.P.H., Clinical Psychology Intern, Brown University
Erin Ferguson is a doctoral student in the Department of Clinical and Health Psychology at the University of Florida. She is currently completing her Clinical Psychology Internship at Brown University. Her research examines contextual influences on alcohol and cannabis demand including pain and other psychosocial variables.
November 1st and November 8th: Workshop: Dynamic Models of Decision-Making and their Applications to Health-Relevant Behavior
Peter Kvam, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Florida
In this 2-session workshop, participants will learn about dynamic models of cognition and how to apply them to studying health-relevant behavior.
Second Tuesday of the month: 4 p.m.–5 p.m.
January 18th: Third Annual CBEHR Science Exchange
This annual event highlights current behavioral economic research begin conducted by our CBEHR students and trainees.
February 8th
Lidia Meshesha, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Central Florida
Dr. Meshesha’s research examines behavioral interventions for addiction focusing on increasing alternative rewards and using behavioral economic theory to understand etiology, maintenance and treatment of addiction.
April 12th
Derek D. Reed, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas
Title: Applying Behavioral Economics to Public Health Crises: Historical Precedence and Translational Promise
Second Tuesday of the month: 4 p.m.–5 p.m.
September 14th: Behavioral economics to promote healthy food choices and prevent cardiometabolic disease.
Dr. Anne Thorndike, MD, MPH; Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School; Associate Physician at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in Boston, MA; Director of the Metabolic Syndrome Clinic at the MGH Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Center
October 12th: Irrational Exuberance, Incautious Stoppage, Ethical Failure: Lessons from Our Prescription Opioid Story
Dr. Stefan Kertesz, MD, MSc; Professor, Division of Preventive Medicine, UAB
November 9th: Beyond the Lab: A Computational Framework to Understand How Daily Behaviors Arise from Cognitive, Affective, and Environmental Dynamics
Dr. Nathaniel Haines, PhD; Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, the Ohio State University
January 21, 2021: Second Annual CBEHR Science Exchange
3:30 p.m.–5 p.m. via Zoom
Ricarda Pritschmann, MS (Doctoral Student, HEB), Nioud Gebru, MPS, MS, CHES (Doctoral Student, HEB), Katie Lindstrom, MS (Doctoral Student, HEB), Adrian Ortega, MA (Doctoral Student, Kansas University)
February 11, 2021: Unrealistic optimism and aspirational labor in minor league baseball
4 p.m.–5 p.m. via Zoom
Christopher McLeod, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, UF Department of Sport Management and N. David Pifer, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Kinesiology and Sport Management, Texas Tech University
April 8, 2021: Choice and compulsion in addiction and recovery
4-5 p.m. via Zoom
Matt Field, Phil.D., Professor of Psychology, Univeristy of Sheffield, United Kingdom
Jointly sponsored with the HHP Department of Sport Management and HHP Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology
September 8, 2020: Hazards of Hindsight: High-risk Weight Loss and Sports Dietary Supplements
4 p.m.–5 p.m. via Zoom
Pieter A. Cohen, M.D. (Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
October 13, 2020: Framing Addiction as Contextual Decision Making
4 p.m.–5 p.m. via Zoom
Samuel F. Acuff, MS, Doctoral Student in Psychology, Universtiy of Memphis
November 10, 2020: Using Bayesian Statistics and Generative Models to Improve Validity of Health Predictors
4 p.m.–5 p.m. via Zoom
Peter D. Kvam, PhD, Assistant Professor of Psychology, University of Florida
January 9, 2020: Understanding Addictive Behavior using Behavioral Economics and Neuroeconomics: A Translational Approach
Chamber Room in Reitz Union, 3:30 p.m.–4:30pm
Dr. James MacKillop (McMaster University)
February 13, 2020: Science Exchange 2020
Yon Hall 15, 3:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m.
HEB doctoral students Ricarda Pritschmann, MS; Shahar Almog, MS; Katie Lindstrom, MS; and Andrea Vasquez Ferreiro, BS; HEB Data Analyst II Joseph Bacon, MA
Seminars are co-sponsored by the Center for Behavior Economic Research and Department of Health Education and Behavior – Community and Behavioral Science Seminars.
April 17, 2020: Psilocybin in the Treatment of Cocaine Dependence: Preliminary Findings
FLG 250, 12 p.m.–1 p.m.
Dr. Peter Hendricks (Associate Professor, Department of Health Behavior, University of Alabama Birmingham)
September 12, 2019: Happy to Take Some Risk: Investigating the Dependence of Risk Preferences on Mood Using Biometric Data
FLG 250, 3:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m.
Dr. Bachir Kassas (University of Florida; Food & Resource Economics Department)
October 10, 2019: CBEHR Behavioral Research Symposium
FLG 250, 3 p.m.–5 p.m.
Diverse Applications of Behavioral Economics across Health Behavior
Dr. Joanna Buscemi (DePaul University) and Dr. Ashley Dennhardt (the University of Memphis)
November 14, 2019: Early Career Showcase
FLG 250, 3:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m.
Internal Validity and Design Considerations of Episodic Future Thinking Manipulations for Reducing Impulsive Choice
Dr Jillian Rung (Postdoctoral Fellow; Univeristy of Florida; Department of Epidemiology)
January 10, 2019: CBEHR Methodology Workshop
FLG 250, 3 p.m.–5 p.m.
Behavioral Economic Methods & Data Analytic Techniques for Behavioral Impulsivity, Substance Demand and Reward Value
Ali Yurasek, Ph.D. and Meredith Berry, Ph.D. (UF Department of Health Education and Behavior)
February 14, 2019: Beyond self-medication: Exploring comorbidity between PTSD and substance misuse
FLG 250, 3:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m.
Megan McDevitt-Murphy, Ph.D. (Professor, University of Memphis & Research Psychologist, Veterans Affairs Medical Center)
April 11, 2019: Application of Discrete Choice Experiments in Health
FLG 250, 3:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m.
Ramzi Salloum, Ph.D.
September 13th: The Link Between Health and Wealth
Michael Gutter, Ph.D. (University of Florida; IFAS)
October 11th: Using Behavioral Economics to Understand and Reduce Lifestyle-Related Morbidity and Mortality Evidence from Cross-Sectional, Longitudinal and Experimental Studies
Jeff Stein, Ph.D. (Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute)
November 8th: CBEH Early Career Showcase
Understanding Substance Problems through Combining Trait and Behavioral Economic Perspectives: A Spotlight on Substance-Free Reward
Keenan Joyner, BA (Florida State University, Clinical Psychology PhD graduate student)
January 18th: What should physicians do when patients make bad decisions?
Chamber Room, Reitz Union, 3 p.m.–5 p.m.
Peter Ubel, M.D. and Jennifer Blumenthal-Barby, Ph.D.
February 22th: Applied Behavioral Economics in Neurodevelopment Disorders
Yon Hall 15, 3:30 p.m.
Iser “Willie” DeLeon, Professor of Psychology, University of Florida
April 12th: Sex, Drugs and Risk Behavior: Decision making and pharmacology underlying sexual risk
Yon Hall 15, 3:30 p.m.
Matthew W. Johnson, Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins Medicine
October 12th: Behavioral Economics of Natural Recovery from Alcohol Problems
Matherly Hall Room 18, 3:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m.
Jalie A. Tucker, Ph.D., M.P.H., Professor & Chair, Dept. of Health Education & Behavior, University of Florida, & Director, CBEHR
November 15th: The Effects of Informational Nudging on Pre-Ordered Food Choices of Middle School National School Lunch Program Participants
Jaclyn Kropp, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Dept. of Food & Resource Economics, University of Florida