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      WHAT WE DO

      HeadsUP develops innovative, theory-driven, cutting edge solutions to better understand normative antecedents of alcohol and other drug use in high-risk populations & digitally intervene to reduce risks among young adults, college students, and sexual minorities.

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      HOW WE DO IT

      We're passionate about leveraging popular social media features and game mechanics in culturally tailored mHealth interventions in order to increase appeal and efficacy.

      #socialmedia #gamification

      We're also applying machine learning to better understand how alcohol use is portrayed and potentially influences college students alcohol-related cognitions (norms, expectancies) on popular social media sites.

      #machinelearning

      Formative research and intervention development in our lab commonly draw upon social norms, self-determination, and self-categorization theories

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      MEET THE TEAM

      Joseph W. LaBrie, PhD

      Founder & Co-Director

      Joe (he/him) is a professor of psychology and a nationally recognized scholar in the domains of college student development and social norms based-health promotion. Much of his research has focused on increasing the efficacy and scalability of normative feedback student and parent-based alcohol interventions through the development of technologically advanced, interactive intervention formats for individuals and groups. In addition to this work, Dr. LaBrie has published a number of oft-cited papers investigating hot button issues on college campuses including pre-partying/pre-gaming, cannabis use, hook-up culture, social media-related influences on substance use, intervention gamification, and helicopter parenting. A community leader and former Jesuit priest, Joe holds a doctorate in clinical psychology as well as masters degrees in mathematics and theology. He is also the recipient of multiple federal research grants and numerous awards, including the American Psychological Associations Early Career Research Award and two LMU faculty awards, the Rains Award for Research Excellence and the Extramural Funding Award. In his spare time Joe enjoys international travel, entertaining, and walking around his favorite Los Angeles neighborhoods.

      Google Scholar Profile

      Researchgate Profile

      Sarah C. Boyle, PhD

      Research Scientist & Co-Director

      Sarah (she/her) is an Applied Social Psychologist who studies relationships between social media use, perceptions of peer norms, and health-risk behaviors including alcohol and other drug use among college students and sexual minority adults. With the goal of designing far-reaching and scalable substance use interventions that have real appeal to members of target communities, her work aims to integrate popular social media features and digital game mechanics into culturally tailored, web- and smartphone-based interventions. Currently, Sarah is examining the efficacy of a novel, gamified, social media inspired personalized normative feedback alcohol intervention for lesbian, bisexual, and queer women and digging into nuanced relationships between stigma-related stress, perceptions of drinking norms, and alcohol use in this population. A native of Cleveland, OH, and former basketball player, Sarah is a huge fan of grant-writing, small dogs, statistical tattoos, trading stock market derivatives, elegant hybrid trial designs, and the Cleveland Cavaliers (yes- even post-Lebron).

      Google Scholar Profile

      Researchgate Profile

      Brad Trager, Ph.D.

      Research Scientist

      Brad (he/him) received his Ph.D. in Biobehavioral Health from Penn State. His research interests include the study of alcohol use and related consequences, socio-cognitive influences of health, and risky decision making. An overarching goal of his research is to inform the development of cost-effective, mobile intervention programs aimed at reducing risky alcohol use in adolescent and emerging adult populations. Brad is currently working on two NIH funded intervention projects: (1) a feasibility study for a PNF intervention app for parents of incoming college students; and (2) an effectiveness trial for a gamified PNF for first-year students. Born in Montreal, QC, and raised in Boca Raton, FL, Brad is a research junky who enjoys gaming and flipping houses.

      Google Scholar Profile

      Researchgate Profile

      Reed Morgan

      Senior Research Associate & CampusGandr Project Manager

      Reed (he/him) is a graduate from Loyola Marymount University with a B.A. in Psychology. His research interests are on comorbidity between alcohol use disorder and depression and anxiety as well as emotion regulation and close relationships as treatment mechanisms for these disorders among adolescents and adults. Reed plans to get his Ph.D. in clinical psychology and eventually have a career that involves both research and clinical practice. Originally from Kailua, Hawaii, Reed loves to be in the outdoors, garden, brew kombucha, collect records, and go to concerts.

      Google Scholar Profile

      Researchgate Profile

      Alicia McLauchlin

      Research Assistant

      Alicia (she/her) is a graduate of University of California Los Angeles with a B.A. in Psychology. Her previous research focused on how digital media interacts with mental health and decision-making, in children and adults. She is interested in exploring how digital media and technology can be optimally utilized to benefit clinical populations. She plans to get a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and is interested in working as both a researcher and clinician. Originally from Tacoma Washington, Alicia loves hiking, cooking, knitting and gaming (particularly The Sims 4). She hates skiing and the wind.

      Alexander Elrod

      Undergraduate Research Assistant

      Alexander (he/him) is a Junior Psychology major in his second year as a Heads UP! research assistant. Following graduation, he hopes to pursue a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology. Alexander is from Lodi, CA and enjoys playing water polo, visiting Disneyland, and watching anime.

      Sebastian Baez

      Undergraduate Research Assistant

      Sebastian Baez is a Junior Psychology major on the Pre-Med track. He aspires to become a neurosurgeon and hopes to attend medical school following graduation. Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sebastian enjoys spending time with friends, going to the beach, watching movies, and listening to music.

      Aidan Foucher

      Undergraduate Research Assistant

      Aidan Foucher (he/him) is a Sophomore pursuing a double major in Psychology and Philosophy. Aidan's prior work at Austin Clinical Trial Partners embedded in him an appreciation of behavioral and cognitive research. Born and raised in Austin, Texas he loves spending his free time outdoors hiking with friends, surfing, or reading a book.

      Andrea Morland-Tellez

      Undergraduate Research Assistant

      Andrea Morland-Tellez (she/her) is a Sophomore Psychology major and Peace and Justice Studies minor. She is planning to pursue either Clinical Psychology or Social Work in the future and hopes to work with marginalized populations. Originally from Oahu, Hawaii, Andrea loves going to the beach, surfing, and listening to a wide variety of music.

    • CURRENT PROJECTS

      Funded by the National Institutes of Health

      REVOLUTIONIZING NORMATIVE RE-EDUCATION: DELIVERING ENHANCED PNF WITHIN A SOCIAL MEDIA INSPIRED GAME ABOUT COLLEGE LIFE

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      2 COLLEGE TRUTHS & 1 LIE: SOCIAL MEDIA EMBEDDED NORMATIVE RE-EDUCATION

      Read more...
      EXTENSION AND ONLINE ADAPTATION OF A SOCIAL NORMS-BASED PARENT-BASED INTERVENTION TO REDUCE DRINKING AMONG FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS

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      UNDERSTANDING THE ROLE OF POPULAR SOCIAL MEDIA SITES IN THE ALCOHOL USE TRAJECTORIES OF FIRST-YEAR COLLEGE STUDENTS

      Read more...
      More Posts
    • TRENDING PUBLICATIONS

      from the HeadsUP Team

      Do the effects of parent-based alcohol interventions depend on college residence?

      Addictive Behaviors (2022)

      Read

      A gamified personalized normative feedback app to reduce drinking among sexual minority women: Randomized controlled trial and feasibility study

      Journal of Medical Internet Research (2022)

      READ

      Integrating social media inspired features into a personalized normative feedback intervention combats social media-based alcohol influence

      Drug and Alcohol Dependence (2021)

      Read

      The prospective effects of parents’ and friends’ approval of drinking on simultaneous alcohol and marijuana use during college

      Substance Use and Misuse (2021)

      Read

      An examination of the prospective associations between objectively assessed exposure to alcohol-related Instagram content, alcohol-specific cognitions, and first-year college drinking

      Addictive Behaviors (2021)

      Read

      Evaluating non-response bias in a parent-based college alcohol intervention

      Substance Use and Misuse (2022)

      READ

      Follow my Finsta: Drinking trajectories in relation to auxiliary Instagram accounts

      Journal of American College Health (2021)

      Read

      Prospective relationships between objectively assessed social media use, drinking norms, and alcohol consumption among first-year students

      Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs (2021)

      READ

      Normative antecedents to substance use among sexual minorities: A scoping review

      Psychology of Sexual Orientation &

      Gender Diversity (2020)

      READ
    •  

      IN THE NEWS

      Media coverage of HeadsUP Research

      Binge Drinking: A Hazard for Teen Bones?

      U.S. News & World Report

      The glamorization of alcohol on social media can lead to underage alcohol abuse

      ABC News

      ‘Safe’ teen drinking? Here’s why parents shouldn’t facilitate it

      The Washington Post

      This May Be The #1 Reason Your Kids Binge-Drink At College

      The Huffington Post

      Here Are All The Drinking Games Being Played On College Campuses 

      Business Insider

      Young Women May Be Drinking Heavily To Get Attention Of Opposite Sex, But Men Not Impressed

      Science Daily

    •  

      CONTACT US

      with research inquiries and collaboration opportunities

      Submit

    Department of Psychology

    University Hall, Suite 4711

    1 LMU Drive

    Los Angeles, CA 90045

    © 2019

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