STRESS Lab

News and Events

2023

  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab Director Nicole Weiss who was awarded an R21 from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism to evaluate dynamic and idiographic processes among positive emotional processes, alcohol use, and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms!
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab Director Nicole Weiss who was awarded a Team Science Administrative Supplement from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences to examine the utility of cranial electrotherapy stimulation in the prevention of PTSD!
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab Director Nicole Weiss who was awarded an Internal Grant from the University of Rhode Island to test the acceptability and feasibility of a transdermal alcohol biosensor (BACtrack Skyn) for studying return to alcohol use following residential alcohol use disorder treatment!
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab graduate student Alexa Raudales who was awarded a Ruth L. Kirschstein Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award! Her project, awarded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, will examine real-time associations among posttraumatic stress, opioid use, and suicide (F31DA058324). Sponsors include Nicole Weiss (STRESS Lab Director) and Michael Armey (Brown University/Butler Hospital).
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab graduate student Emmanuel Thomas who was awarded a Ruth L. Kirschstein Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award! His project, awarded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, will explore momentary relations among depression, racial stressor and trauma, and alcohol use (F31AA030502). Sponsors include Nicole Weiss (STRESS Lab Director), Jasjit Ahluwalia (Brown University), and Ivan Miller (Brown University/Butler Hospital).
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab graduate student Reina Kiefer who was awarded a Ruth L. Kirschstein Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award! Her project, awarded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, will investigate the effects of positive and negative emotion states on sexual assault risk perception during acute alcohol intoxication (F31AA031164). Sponsors include Nicole Weiss (STRESS Lab Director), Lindsay Orchowski (Brown University/Lifespan), and Kathy (University at Buffalo).
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab graduate student Alexa Raudales who was awarded the Graduate Student Research Grant from the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT)!
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab graduate student Silvi Goldstein who matched at Brown University for her clinical internship!
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab graduate student Silvi Goldstein for successfully defending her dissertation titled “Race and Sex as Moderators of Harm Reduction Pharmacobehavioral Treatment for AUD.”
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab graduate student Shannon Forkus for successfully defending her dissertation titled “Military Sexual Trauma and Substance Use.”
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab graduate student Reina Kiefer who successfully completed her comprehensive examinations!
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab graduate student Alexa Raudales who was awarded the University of Rhode Island Graduate Student Research and Scholarship Excellence Award in Social Sciences and Humanities (Highest Research Award for Graduate Students in Social Sciences and Humanities)!
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab graduate student Jewelia Ferguson who was awarded the Collaborative Perspectives on Addiction (CPA) Registration Award!
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab graduate student Alexa Raudales who was selected to participate in the Enhancing Diversity in Alcohol Research (EDAR) program at the Medical University of South Carolina (R25AA028464)!
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab graduate student Reina Kiefer who was awarded the University of Rhode Island’s Dean’s Fellowship!
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab undergraduate student Stephen Coutu who was selected as a Rhode Island IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (RI-INBRE) Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship + (SURF+) Program
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab undergraduate student Courtney Holmes who was awarded the Janet Kulberg Research Poster Award (Best Research Poster)!
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab undergraduate student Alyssa Avila who was awarded the Outstanding Contributions to Psychology, Senior Award!
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab undergraduate student Stephen Coutu who was awarded the Outstanding Contributions to Psychology, Senior Award!
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab undergraduate student Brienne Harter who was awarded the Outstanding Contributions to Psychology, Junior Award!
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab undergraduate student Courtney Holmes who was awarded the Outstanding Contributions to Psychology, Junior Award!
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab undergraduate student Alyssa Avila who was selected as a Rhode Island IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (RI-INBRE) Semester Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) Fellowship!

2022

  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab Director Nicole Weiss who was awarded the Outstanding Mentorship Award from the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies!
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab Director Nicole Weiss who was awarded the College of Health Sciences Research Excellence Award from the University of Rhode Island!
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab undergraduate student Abigail Longnaker for receiving the Third Place Poster Award in the Undergraduate Category for the University of Rhode Island College of Health Sciences Research Event!
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab Director Nicole Weiss who was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure!
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab Director Nicole Weiss who received a two-year, $500,000 Project Leader Grant from the Center of Biomedical Research and Excellence (COBRE) on Opioids and Overdose (funded by National Institutes of Health Grant P20GM125507) to examine longitudinal changes in traumatic stress and physiology on risk for return to opioid use during community reintegration following residential treatment!
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab graduate student Emmanuel Thomas who was selected to participate in the Enhancing Diversity in Alcohol Research (EDAR) program at the Medical University of South Carolina (R25AA028464)!
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab graduate student Jewelia Ferguson who was the recipient of the University of Rhode Island’s First-Year Doctoral Fellowship!
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab graduate student Silvi Goldstein who was awarded the University of Rhode Island Graduate Student Research and Scholarship Excellence Award in Social Sciences and Humanities (Highest Research Award for Graduate Students in Social Sciences and Humanities)
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab graduate student Emmanuel Thomas who was awarded the University of Rhode Island’s Dean’s Fellowship!
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab graduate student Shannon Forkus who matched at MUSC for her clinical internship!
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab undergraduate student Stephen Coutu who was selected as a Rhode Island IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (RI-INBRE) Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Special Fellow!
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab undergraduate student Abigail Longnaker who was selected as a Rhode Island IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (RI-INBRE) Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Special Fellow!
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab undergraduate student Naomi Burgos who was selected as a Rhode Island IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (RI-INBRE) Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Special Fellow!
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab undergraduate students Stephen Coutu and Naomi Burgos, who was awarded a grant from URI’s Office of Undergraduate Research and Innovation! Stephen and Naomi will use the funds to examine risk and protective factors for PTSD among sexual minority individuals.
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab undergraduate students Alyssa Avila, Sarah Ilgenfritz, and Abigail Longnaker, who was awarded a grant from URI’s Office of Undergraduate Research and Innovation! Alyssa, Sarah, and Abigail will examine familiar forms of trauma in relation to substance use outcomes among individuals in residential treatment.
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab graduate student Alexa Raudales who won the First Place Poster Award in the PhD Category for the University of Rhode Island College of Health Sciences Research Event!
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab graduate student Silvi Goldstein who won the Third Place Poster Award in the PhD Category for the University of Rhode Island College of Health Sciences Research Event!
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab graduate student Alexa Raudales who was awarded the University of Rhode Island College of Health Sciences Summer Research Fellowship!
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab graduate student Silvi Goldstein, whose symposium describing acceptance of harm reduction treatment for alcohol in one First Nation community was selected as a Program Chair’s Choice Paper at the Collaborative Perspectives on Addiction annual meeting!
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab Director Nicole Weiss, whose symposium using dynamic structural equation modeling to study emotion regulation and substance use was selected as a Program Chair’s Choice Paper at the Collaborative Perspectives on Addiction annual meeting!
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab graduate student Svetlana Goncharenko for successfully defending her dissertation titled “Longitudinal Investigation of Childhood Trauma and Emotion-driven Impulsivity.”
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab graduate student Emmanuel Thomas who successfully completed his comprehensive examinations!
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab undergraduate student Alyssa Avila who was awarded the Outstanding Contributions to Psychology, Senior Award!
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab undergraduate student Chloe Bittelman who was awarded the Outstanding Contributions to Psychology, Senior Award!
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab undergraduate student Stephen Coutu who was awarded the Outstanding Contributions to Psychology, Junior Award!
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab undergraduate student Sarah Ilgenfritz who was awarded the Outstanding Contributions to Psychology, Junior Award!

2021

  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab Director Nicole Weiss who was recognized for being in the top 1% of all cited scholars worldwide in Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders between 2011 and 2021 by Expertscape! https://web.uri.edu/chs/2021/12/21/college-of-health-sciences-professor-recognized-among-top-experts-worldwide/
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab Director Nicole Weiss who was awarded a R34 from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism to develop a culturally-grounded, trauma-informed alcohol intervention for a reserve-dwelling First Nation group!
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab graduate student Silvi Goldstein who was awarded a Ruth L. Kirschstein Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award! Her project, awarded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, will examine the acceptability and efficacy of a randomized controlled trial using harm reduction treatment and extended-release naltrexone among people experiencing homelessness and alcohol use disorder compared to treatment as usual for race and sex (F31AA029274). Sponsors include Nicole Weiss (STRESS Lab Director), Sarah Feldstein Ewing (University of Rhode Island), and Susan Collins (Washington State University).
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab graduate student Shannon Forkus who was awarded a Ruth L. Kirschstein Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award! Her project, awarded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, will apply machine learning to predict substance use among military veterans with military sexual trauma (F31DA051167). Sponsors include Nicole Weiss (STRESS Lab Director), Kristina Jackson (Brown University), and AJ Rosellini (Boston University).
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab graduate student Emmanuel Thomas who successfully defended his master’s thesis titled “Examining the Proximal Relationship between Religious Coping and Depression among Trauma-Exposed Adults.”
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab graduate student Silvi Goldstein for successfully proposing her dissertation titled “Race and Sex as Moderators of Harm Reduction Pharmacobehavioral Treatment for AUD.”
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab graduate student Alexa Raudales who successfully completed her comprehensive examinations!
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab graduate student Shannon Forkus for successfully proposing her dissertation titled “Military Sexual Trauma and Substance Use.”
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab undergraduate student Naomi Burgos for being the recipient of the University of Rhode Island College of Health Sciences Undergraduate Research Award!
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab graduate student Melissa Schick who matched at MUSC for her clinical internship!
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab undergraduate student Ben Seebold who was accepted into the MS program in Sports Psychology at Florida State University!
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab graduate student Svetlana Goncharenko who successfully completed her comprehensive examinations!
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab graduate student Alexa Raudales who successfully defended her master’s thesis titled “Emotion Dysregulation in Non-suicidal Self-injury Following Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms.”
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab graduate student Alexa Raudales who was awarded the University of Rhode Island’s Dean’s Fellowship!
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab graduate student Silvi Goldstein who was awarded the University of Rhode Island’s Dean’s Fellowship!
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab graduate student Svetlana Goncharenko for successfully proposing her dissertation titled “Longitudinal Investigation of Childhood Trauma and Emotion-driven Impulsivity.”
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab graduate student Silvi Goldstein who successfully completed her comprehensive examinations!
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab graduate student Silvi Goldstein who was awarded an R13-funded travel award by the National Institute for Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism for the 2021 Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association!
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab undergraduate student Srah DelBonis who was awarded the Janet Kulberg Research Poster Award (Best Research Poster)
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab undergraduate student Sarah DelBonis who was awarded the Outstanding Contributions to Psychology, Senior Award
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab undergraduate student Benjamin Seebold who was awarded the Outstanding Contributions to Psychology, Senior Award
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab undergraduate student Amber Pinheiro who was awarded the Outstanding Contributions to Psychology, Senior Award

2020

  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab graduate student Melissa Schick who was awarded an American Psychological Association Dissertation Award! Melissa will use the funds to examine the day-level associations among affect, alcohol use, and risky sex among First Nation adults.
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab graduate student Shannon Forkus who was awarded an Enhancement of Graduate Research Award from the URI. Shannon will use the funds to examine reciprocal associations between military sexual trauma and alcohol misuse.
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab undergraduate students Greta Del Bonis and Sarah Delbonis who were awarded a grant from URI’s Office of Undergraduate Research and Innovation. Greta and Sarah will use the funds to examine the relation of sexual violence to risky and reckless behavior across college and community women.
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab graduate student Shannon Forkus who was awarded the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS) Student Registration Award!
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab graduate student Alexa Raudales who was awarded the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS) Student Registration Award!
  • Congrats to STRESS Lab summer intern Lauren Simpson who was awarded the Honorary Undergraduate Scholar (HUS) Award from the New England Psychological Association (Highest Award for Undergraduate Students)
  • Congrats to STRESS Lab undergraduate student Monica Vieira who will be attending the MA in Mental Health Counseling and Behavioral Medicine program at Boston University
  • Congrats to STRESS Lab undergraduate student Aleksandra Fryc who was awarded the University of Rhode Island Undergraduate Student Research and Scholarship Excellence Award in Social Sciences and Humanities (Highest Research Award for Undergraduate Students in Social Sciences and Humanities)
  • Congrats to Reina Kiefer who will be joining the STRESS Lab as a first year clinical psychology doctoral student in the fall. Reina is interested in studying the development and maintenance of PTSD following unwanted sexual experiences, including the roles of parent factors, early relationship formation, emotion regulation, and risk-taking.
  • Congrats to STRESS Lab graduate student Melissa Schick who was awarded the University of Rhode Island’s Dean’s Fellowship
  • Congrats to STRESS Lab graduate student Megan Risi who was awarded the University of Rhode Island’s Dean’s Fellowship
  • Congrats to STRESS Lab graduate student Svetlana Goncharenko who was awarded the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate Student Scholarship
  • Congrats to STRESS Lab graduate student Alexa Raudales who was awarded the University of Rhode Island’s Dean’s Diversity Fellowship
  • Congrats to STRESS Lab undergraduate student Aleksandra Fryc who was awarded the Carpenter Prize (Best Research Paper)
  • Congrats to STRESS Lab undergraduate student Allison Tobar-Santamaria who was awarded the Janet Kulberg Research Poster Award (Best Research Poster)
  • Congrats to STRESS Lab undergraduate student Isabelle Channell who was awarded the Outstanding Contributions to Psychology, Senior Award
  • Congrats to STRESS Lab undergraduate student Aleksandra Fryc who was awarded the Outstanding Contributions to Psychology, Senior Award
  • Congrats to STRESS Lab undergraduate student Monica Vieira who was awarded the Outstanding Contributions to Psychology, Senior Award
  • Congrats to STRESS Lab undergraduate student Allison Tobar-Santamaria who was awarded the Outstanding Contributions to Psychology, Senior Award
  • Congrats to STRESS Lab undergraduate student Gianna Salvatore who was awarded the Outstanding Contributions to Psychology, Senior Award
  • Congrats to STRESS Lab undergraduate student Devon Quinn who was awarded the Outstanding Contributions to Psychology, Senior Award
  • Congrats to STRESS Lab undergraduate student Joseph Mammay who was awarded the Outstanding Contributions to Psychology, Senior Award
  • Congrats to STRESS Lab undergraduate student Alexa Fryc who will be attending the PhD Neuroscience program at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine
  • Congrats to STRESS Lab undergraduate student Joseph Mammay who will be attending the MA in Mental Health Counseling program at Rhode Island College
  • Congrats to STRESS Lab undergraduate student Gianna Salvatore who will be attending the MA in Mental Health Counseling and Behavioral Medicine program at Boston University
  • Congrats to STRESS Lab Director Nicole who was awarded a grant from the Rhode Island Foundation to study predictors of relapse following residential substance use disorder treatment among individuals with and without PTSD

2019

  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab graduate student Svetlana Goncharenko, who defended her thesis entitled: “The Role of Childhood Trauma in the Associations among Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Emotional Reactivity, and Emotion Dysregulation: A Moderated Mediation Model”
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab undergraduate student Monica Viera, who was awarded a grant from URI’s Office of Undergraduate Research and Innovation. Monica will use the funds to examine the role of childhood sexual abuse in suicidality.
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab undergraduate students Allison Tobar-Santamaria, Isabella Channell, and Gianna Salvatore, who were awarded a grant from URI’s Office of Undergraduate Research and Innovation. They will use the funds to examine gender differences in sexual assault and related risky behaviors.
  • Congrats to Melissa Schick who passed her comprehensive exam!
  • Congrats to STRESS Lab Director Nicole who was awarded a grant from the Center of Biomedical Research and Excellence (COBRE) On Opioids and Overdose (funded by the National Institutes of Health P20GM125507) to study the co-occurrence of PTSD and opioid misuse in community individuals.
  • Congrats to STRESS Lab Director Nicole who was awarded the University of Rhode Island Early Career Faculty Research and Scholarship Excellence Award in Social Sciences and Humanities (Highest Early Career Research Award for Social Sciences and Humanities)
  • Congrats to STRESS Lab Director Nicole who was awarded the College of Health Sciences Excellence Award, University of Rhode Island
  • Congrats to STRESS Lab graduate student Shannon Forkus who was awarded the University of Rhode Island Graduate Student Research and Scholarship Excellence Award in Social Sciences and Humanities (Highest Research Award for Graduate Students in Social Sciences and Humanities)
  • Congrats to STRESS Lab graduate student Shannon Forkus who was awarded the University of Rhode Island Graduate School 2019 Excellence in Master’s Thesis Research Award (Highest University Award for a Master’s Thesis)
  • Congrats to STRESS Lab graduate student Shannon Forkus who was awarded the University of Rhode Island’s Dean’s Fellowship
  • Congrats to STRESS Lab graduate student Miranda Reyes who was awarded the University of Rhode Island Graduate School Dean’s Diversity Fellowship
  • Congrats to STRESS Lab undergraduate student Nazaret Suazo who was awarded the University of Rhode Island Undergraduate Student Research and Scholarship Excellence Award in Social Sciences and Humanities (Highest Research Award for Undergraduate Students in Social Sciences and Humanities)
  • Congrats to STRESS Lab undergraduate student Nazaret Suazo who was awarded the Carpenter Prize (Best Research Paper)
  • Congrats to STRESS Lab undergraduate student Nazaret Suazo who was awarded the Outstanding Contributions to Psychology, Senior Award
  • Congrats to STRESS Lab undergraduate student Nazaret Suazo who was awarded the Senior Academic Excellence Award
  • Congrats to STRESS Lab undergraduate student Allison Tobar-Santamaria who was awarded the Outstanding Contributions to Psychology, Senior Award
  • Congrats to STRESS Lab undergraduate student Aleksandra Fryc who was awarded the Outstanding Contributions to Psychology, Senior Award
  • Congrats to STRESS Lab undergraduate student Devon Quinn who was awarded the Outstanding Contributions to Psychology, Junior Award
  • Congrats to STRESS Lab undergraduate student Daphne Boudreau who was awarded the Outstanding Contributions to Psychology, Junior Award
  • Congrats to STRESS Lab undergraduate student Joseph Mammay who was awarded the Outstanding Contributions to Psychology, Junior Award
  • Congrats to Alexa Raudales who will be joining the STRESS Lab as a first year clinical psychology doctoral student in the fall. Alexa is interested in the role of emotion dysregulation in PTSD and maladaptive coping behaviors including substance misuse, with the aim of translating these findings to optimize efficacious interventions.
  • Congrats to Emmanuel Thomas who will be joining the STRESS Lab as a first year clinical psychology doctoral student in the fall. Emmanuel is in risk and resiliency factors in trauma-related outcomes, particularly among historically marginalized populations.
  • Congrats to STRESS Lab Director Nicole who was awarded a travel grant from Office of Global Initiatives at the University of Rhode Island with Dr. Nichea Spillane to begin development on a trauma-informed substance abuse intervention for one First Nation group
  • Congrats to Shannon Forkus who passed her comprehensive exam!

2018

  • Congratulations to Svetlana Goncharenko, who will be joining the STRESS Lab as a doctoral student in clinical psychology in fall 2018. Svetlana is interested in the role of emotion dysregulation in the etiology and treatment of trauma/PTSD, particularly as it relates to maladaptive coping such as substance use and risky sexual behavior.
  • Congratulations to Miranda Reyes, who will be joining the STRESS Lab as a doctoral student in clinical psychology in fall 2018. Miranda is interested in the role of cultural and contextual factors in trauma and risky behaviors.
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab undergraduate student Nazaret Suazo, who was awarded a grant from URI’s Office of Undergraduate Research and Innovation. Nazaret will use the funds to examine emotional expressivity and complexity across cultural groups
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab undergraduate student Aleksandra Fryc, who was awarded a grant from URI’s Office of Undergraduate Research and Innovation. Aleksandra will use the funds to examine the role of head trauma in emotion dysregulation among victims of domestic violence
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab undergraduate student Alicia Haas, who will be attending Boston College (M.A. Mental Health Counseling) in the fall
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab undergraduate student Rebecca Rappel, who will be attending Rutgers University (M.S.W.) in the fall
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab undergraduate student Alicia Haas, who won awards for Academic Excellent and Outstanding Senior Contributions
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab undergraduate student Rebecca Rappel, who won an award for Outstanding Senior Contributions
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab undergraduate student Nazaret Suazo, who won an award for Outstanding Sophomore Contributions
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab undergraduate student Aleksandra Fryc, who won an award for Outstanding Sophomore Contributions
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab graduate student Shannon Forkus, who defended her thesis entitled: “Moral Injury, Mental Health, and Self-compassion”
  • Congratulations to STRESS Lab undergraduate student Aleksandra Fryc, who was awarded a competitive NIH-funded summer internship at the University of Missouri Alcohol Research Training Summer Schools (MU-ARTSS)

2017

  • The STRESS Lab was founded in the Department of Psychology at the University of Rhode Island