- Assistant Professor
- Department of Psychology; Clinical Psychology
- Phone: 401.874.4240
- Email: hlopez-vergara@uri.edu
- Office Location: Chafee 417
- Accepting Students: Not at this time
Research
PLEASE NOTE: Dr. Lopez-Vergara will not be accepting new graduate students for the 2025-2026 academic year.
My program of research seeks to “unpack” individual and social mechanisms in the development of psychopathology. My program of research merges “mainstream”/traditional theoretical models of
psychopathology with quantitative applications of critical theories such as Critical Race Theory (QuantCrit) and
Quantitative Intersectionality. My work suggests that transdiagnostic mechanisms can explain the emergence
of what appears to be distinct mental health phenotypes and that testing for differential instrument functioning
is vital for validly comparing cultural groups. A more generalizable and reliable “unpacking” of mechanisms in
the development of mental health has the potential to increase experimental precision and may be a necessity
for building upon existing levels of treatment outcome efficacy.
Laboratory
The Investigating Mechanisms in Adjustment and Psychopathology (iMap) Lab focuses on using advanced
quantitative methods to measure individual differences in cognitive, motivational, and social determinants of
mental health. The iMap Lab hosts weekly Science Meetings for graduate and undergraduate students
interested in psychopathology research. Students interested in iMap Lab research experience should email Dr.
Lopez-Vergara.
Education
- Ph.D. 2014, University at Buffalo
- M.S. 2010, University at Buffalo
- B.A. 2007, University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP)
Courses
- Psy254 – Introduction to Psychopathology
- Psy460 – Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, and Policy
- Psy607 – Advanced Psychopathology
- Psy661 – Psychological Assessment
Selected Publications
Lopez-Vergara, H. I., Rozum, W., Sutherland Charvis, J. M., Iacoi, S., Vergara-Lopez, C., & Stein, L. A. R.
(2024). Experiences of discrimination and alcohol involvement among young adults at the intersection of
race/ethnicity and gender. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, 1-17.
Vergara-Lopez, C., Hernandez Valencia, E. M., Grados, M., Ortiz, E., Sutherland Charvis, J., & Lopez-
Vergara, H. I. (2024). Reexamining gender differences and the transdiagnostic boundaries of various
conceptualizations of perseverative cognition. Psychological Assessment, 36(9), 538-551.
Sutherland Charvis, J. M., Vergara-Lopez, C., Hernandez Valencia, E. M., Fernandez, M. E., Rozum, W., &
Lopez-Vergara, H. I. (2024). A proof-of-concept study testing the factor structure of the Stop Signal Task:
Overlap with substance use and mental health symptoms. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse,
50(4), 462-470.
Lopez-Vergara, H. I., Zapolski, T. C. B., & Leventhal, A. M. (2021). Intersection of minority health, health
disparities, and social determinants of health with psychopharmacology and substance use. Experimental &
Clinical Psychopharmacology, 29, 427-428.
Lopez-Vergara, H. I., Yang, M., Weiss, N. H., Stamates, A. L., Spillane, N. S., & Feldstein Ewing, S. W.
(2021). The cultural equivalence of measurement in substance use research. Experimental & Clinical
Psychopharmacology, 29, 456-465.
Lopez-Vergara, H. I., Rosales, R., Scheuermann, T., Nollen, N., Leventhal, A., & Ahluwalia, J. (2020). Social
determinants of alcohol and cigarette use by race/ethnicity: Can we ignore measurement issues?
Psychological Assessment, 32, 1075-1086.
Lopez-Vergara, H. I., Jackson, K. M., Meshesha, L. Z., & Metrik, J. (2019). Dysregulation as a correlate of
cannabis use and problem use. Addictive Behaviors, 95, 138-144.
Lopez-Vergara, H. I., Merrill, J. E., & Carey, K. B. (2018). Testing variability in response to a brief alcohol
intervention: The role of self-regulation and the therapeutic relationship. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 32,
205-212.
Lopez-Vergara, H. I., Merrill, J. E., Janssen, T., & Jackson, K. M. (2017). Social and individual-level predictors
of alcohol use initiation and escalation: Replicating and extending tests of differential effects. Journal of Studies
on Alcohol and Drugs, 78, 452-457.
Vergara-Lopez, C., Lopez-Vergara, H. I., & Roberts, J. E. (2016). Testing a “content meets process” model of
depression vulnerability and rumination: Exploring the moderating role of set-shifting deficits. Journal of
Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 50, 201-208.
Lopez-Vergara, H. I., & Colder, C. R. (2013). An examination of the specificity of motivation and executive
functioning in ADHD symptom-clusters in adolescence. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 38, 1081-1090.
O’Connor, R. M., Lopez-Vergara, H. I., & Colder, C. R. (2012). Implicit cognition and substance use: The role
of controlled and automatic processes in children. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 73, 134-143.
Lopez-Vergara, H. I., Colder, C. R., Hawk, L. W., Wieczorek, W. F., Eiden, R. D., Lengua, L. J., & Read, J. P.
(2012). Reinforcement sensitivity theory and alcohol outcome expectancies in early adolescence. The
American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 38, 130-134.