The Risk-taking, Impulsivity, Substance Use, and Cognition (RISC) lab studies how impulsivity and its neurocognitive underpinnings influence a wide range of risk-taking behaviors, including alcohol and substance use. We also use community-engaged approaches to understand and leverage neuroscientific findings to improve treatment and recovery for individuals across the sociodemographic spectrum.
The RISC lab conducts research across four main areas:
- How emotions and impulsive tendencies combine and interact to impart risk for psychological disorders and maladaptive behaviors.
- Identifying how the brain is implicated in risk-taking and how we can best leverage brain function to reduce risks associated with impulsive action.
- Understanding factors associated with varied trajectories of alcohol and substance use recovery to better support those in recovery.
- Advancing the generalizability and impact of our work through studying people from varied sociodemographic backgrounds, especially those from minoritized groups, for whom specific relevant factors may be most clinically important.