Lab Director
Larry Hawk, Ph.D. (he/they)
Dr. Larry Hawk feels fortunate to work with a great multidisciplinary Behavioral Health team, including collaborators across North America. He received his doctoral degree in in Clinical (Health) Psychology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 1996 and completed his clinical internship and post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Hawk began his career as a clinical psychophysiologist and continues to take a non-reductionistic approach to integrating psychology and biology. Most of Dr. Hawk’s recent and current research focuses on the role of basic cognitive and affective/motivational processes and treatment mechanisms in tobacco/nicotine use. He employs a range of research methodologies, including basic behavioral pharmacology lab studies, intensive real-world assessment, and randomized clinical trials. A parallel line of work focuses on ADHD. Dr. Hawk also enjoys traveling with his wife, cycling, and a range of family-oriented outdoor activities.
Project Coordinator
CeCe Duerr, M.S.
CeCe received her B.A. and M.S. degrees from Mississippi State University, where she played on the Lady Bulldogs golf team for 4 years. She has been a clinical research coordinator for over 25 years and has worked on many different types of projects, including: childhood weight control, coping skills training for partners of pathological gamblers, a longitudinal study assessing stability and changes in mental health and drinking behaviors, and multiple smoking cessation clinical trials. She is excited to be coordinating studies in the Behavioral Health Lab at UB. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and three cats, as well as going to concerts, traveling, photography reading and hanging out with family and friends.
LeahAnne Humphrey, B.S.
LeahAnne graduated in 2022 with her BS in Exercise Science from the University at Buffalo. After graduating, LeahAnne helped patients reduce their risk for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases through the development and implementation of individualized exercise and lifestyle management programs. Throughout 2022, LeahAnne assisted in writing and publishing a paper about lifestyle interventions that target hyperinsulinemia to normalize hyperglycemia and surrogate markers of insulin resistance. LeahAnne sought out the Hawk lab in May of 2023 to further her research experience and explore her research interests.
Ashley Schenkel, B.A.
Ashley graduated from D’Youville University with her BA in psychology. She has worked for the Behavioral Health lab since 2022 and now serves as the project coordinator to the FRIENDS Project. Her research interests include the initiation of addiction to various substances like nicotine, opioids, and alcohol and behavioral factors that support the maintenance of an addiction. In her free time, Ashley enjoys reading, cooking, and exercising.
Graduate Students
Samantha Johnstone, B.A.
Samantha Johnstone is a doctoral student in the Hawk Lab. She received her BA in psychology and completed an honours thesis at Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson), with a minor in criminology. Her research interests involve understanding and treating cooccurring substance use disorders and serious mental illness (e.g., schizophrenia), as well as elucidating specific treatment mechanisms (e.g., emotion/cognition). Apart from academia, she enjoys house music, dancing, and horror movies/books.
Devon Terry, B.A.
Devon is a doctoral student in the Hawk lab. She completed her B.A. in psychology and anthropology at the University of Missouri in 2022, where she also completed an honors thesis in the McNair Scholars Internship Program. Her research interests include understanding the mechanisms in comorbid emotional dysregulation and substance use, as well as developing targeted treatment interventions for those groups. Secondarily, she is also interested in improving scientific methodology. Outside of the lab, Devon is an aerialist specializing in trapeze and aerial hoop.
Robert Cooper, M.A.
Bobby is a doctoral student in the Hawk Lab. He studied psychology as an undergraduate at SUNY Fredonia with minors in statistics and coaching. He then received his Master’s degree in general psychology at the University at Buffalo before entering the clinical psychology Ph.D. program in the fall of 2020. Bobby’s research interests center around how substance use, particularly nicotine and caffeine, impact cognition, physiology, and behavior. Outside of the lab, Bobby enjoys sports (including running, soccer, and hockey), as well as hiking.
Staff
Matthew Preisigke, B.A.
Matt graduated with a B.A. from the University of Buffalo in 2024, majoring in psychology and minoring in philosophy. His greatest interests concern the clinical efficacy of psychedelic-assisted treatments, their phenomenology, and underlying mechanisms of action. This focus, and other intrigues, have allowed him the privilege of sharing meaningful experiences with cherished peers and mentors in clinical, social, and behavioral neuroscience laboratories at UB. In the future, he hopes to train as a psychotherapist while studying the etiology of mood and/or substance use disorders and their amelioration with novel therapies. Matt enjoys playing guitar, writing poetry, and talking long walks in his free time.
Keelia Chilberg, B.S.
Keelia graduated from the Pennsylvania State University in May 2024, with a B.S. in Psychology and a minor in Sociology. Her primary interests are in understanding mechanisms of substance use in their relation to psychopathology. Before joining the Hawk Behavioral Health lab, she worked in research targeting understanding what circumstances effect early childhood development among families with parents struggling with substance abuse and related factors. Her future aim is to attend a clinical psychology program focusing on forensic psychology and adult clinical assessment. In her free time she likes reading and collecting books, painting, and traveling to different countries.
Alisha Hassan, B.S.
Alisha graduated from Stony Brook University in December 2024, with a B.S. in Psychology with concentrations in Biology and Chemistry. Her past research experience delved into the fields of social, health, and clinical psychology. Spanning focus among topics of emotion word usage across demographics, climate anxiety’s impact on family planning, and a neuro-melanin guided study on emerging substance use in adolescents. She aspires to enroll in a Clinical Psychology PhD program, with interests in behavioral neuroscience and under-researched populations/culturally sensitive research to update current diagnoses, treatment, and access to care. Outside of her duties in Dr. Hawk’s Lab , she is learning how to use R and works with Lay Mental Health Advocates (LMHA), a non-profit dedicated to mental health advocacy. In her free time, she indulges in the grandma trifecta of hobbies; reading, baking, and embroidery. Alongside, the occasional viewing of an F1 race or NHL game.
Eugene Maguin, Ph.D.
Gene is a data manager/analyst for multiple projects in the Hawk Behavioral Health Lab. Gene completed his undergraduate B.S. in Mechanical Engineering at Kansas State University, earned his PhD in Developmental Psychology at Michigan State University in 1991, and trained as a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Pittsburgh. He worked as a program manager at the Research Institute on Addictions and as a Research Scientist in the UB School of Social Work before coming to Psychology in 2018. Gene is an avid dancer.
Undergraduate Students and Volunteers
Andreas Ouloupis, B.S.
Andreas recently earned a B.S. in Neuroscience from the University at Buffalo and is set to graduate with an M.A. in Biological Sciences in December 2026. He plans to pursue medical school after completing his master’s. Since January 2024, Andreas has served as a Research Assistant in the Hawk Lab and also works as a medical assistant at WNY Immediate Care. His research interests include behavioral neuroscience, pain management, and addiction. Outside of academics and work, Andreas enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking and kayaking, as well as exploring and preparing diverse cuisines. He also enjoys playing board games such as chess and backgammon, and values spending quality time with his family.
Adrianus Wutz, B.A.
Adrianus is a new Research Assistant for Dr. Hawk’s lab. Recently graduated from SUNY Buffalo State University with a B.A. in Psychology, Adrianus aspires for a career in research focused on co-occurring mental health and substance use treatment. Currently, he is fully employed at Horizon Health Services and the Veterans Health Affairs as a Care Coordinator and Health Science Specialist respectively. Adrianus joined Dr. Hawk’s lab to help aid the effort in understanding chronic nicotine use relating to vaporizers, and their overall physical health effects as well.
Armaan Goel
Armaan is an undergraduate student joining the Hawk Behavioral Health lab in August of 2025. He is pursuing his B.S. In Biomedical Sciences, along with a minor in Psychology at the University of Buffalo. Set to graduate in 2027, Armaan aspires to attend medical school and pursue a career in medicine with a focus on integrating behavioral health into his clinical practice. He joined Dr. Hawk’s lab to gain the necessary research experience needed to understand the behavioral and physiological mechanisms underlying substance use and mental health. In his free time, Armaan enjoys spending quality time with friends and family, watching movies, and playing sports.
Reilly Miller
Reilly is an undergraduate student majoring in Biomedical Sciences at UB. His research interests include the physiological effects of nicotine and tobacco use on different body systems. With an anticipated graduation date of May 2026, he plans to pursue a degree in medicine. Reilly joined Dr. Hawk’s Lab in April 2025. Outside of research, he enjoys traveling, spending time with friends, and playing sports.
SJ Navaid
SJ is a third-year undergraduate student pursuing his B.S. in Public Health at the University of Buffalo. Set to graduate in December 2026, SJ has aspirations of attaining a degree in medicine. Currently, he is working as a Patient Care Technician at Rochester General Hospital on the weekends. He joined Dr. Hawk’s lab to understand how a wide array of factors stemming from the Social Determinants of Health combined with psychophysiological expressions can lead to nicotine usage and dependency. In his free time, SJ enjoys traveling, grilling, lifting weights, playing basketball, and listening to Drake.
Alumni - Where are they now?
Sarah Tonkin, 2022 PhD
Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychological Science, University of Arkansas
Whitney Fosco, 2018 PhD
Survey Research Analyst at Fors Marsh
Michelle Bubnik-Harrison, 2016 PhD
Psychologist and Coordinator of the Behavioral Health Program for Military Families, Child and Family Therapy Clinic, Kennedy Krieger Institute
Nicolas Schlienz, 2015 PhD
HRI Scientist, Department of Health Behavior, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
Jessica Rhodes, 2014 PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Westminster College
Rebecca Ashare, 2011 PhD
Professor, Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences, University at Buffalo
Keri Shiels Rosch, 2011 PhD
Associate Professor, Center for Neurodevelopmental and Imaging Research, Department of Neuropsychology, Kennedy Krieger Institute and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Joseph Baschnagel, 2007 PhD
Chair and Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Rochester Institute of Technology
Juliana Read, 2004 PhD
Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center