Meet the Research Team
Cathy Lau-Barraco, Ph.D.
Dr. Lau-Barraco joined ODU in the Fall 2009. She came to us from the Research Institute on Addictions at SUNY Buffalo where she completed an NIH-sponsored postdoctoral fellowship. Broadly, her research focuses on the determinants (e.g., cognitive, social, environmental) of alcohol use and other risk behaviors. She's also interested in developing brief interventions to address problematic alcohol use among young adults. Dr. Lau-Barraco was born in Hong Kong but moved to the States at the age of 10. She lived in Florida for most of her life but now considers Chesapeake, VA home, where she resides with her husband Anthony. Dr. Lau-Barraco is a self-proclaimed craft-nerd who enjoys knitting, scrapbooking, decorating, and photography.
Contact: cbarraco@odu.edu
Ashley Linden
Ashley is a third-year graduate student in the Applied Experimental Psychology PhD program at ODU. She completed her undergraduate work at Central Michigan University in 2010 and received her M.S. in Experimental Psychology from ODU in 2012. She currently serves as the project coordinator for Dr. Lau-Barraco's NIH funded career grant examining substance use behaviors among nonstudents. Ashley's primary research interests are in alcohol use, mental health, and associated cognitive factors among young adults.
Ashley's Curriculum Vitae
Contact: alind016@odu.edu
Joe Minifie
Joe is currently a third-year graduate student in the Clinical Psychology PsyD program offered jointly through ODU, Eastern Virginia Medical School, and Norfolk State University. He earned his undergraduate degree in Neuroscience from Trinity College in Hartford, CT in 2008. Joe is currently working on the REACH project as an interventionist. His primary research interests center on the psychosocial factors that relate to alcohol use in emerging adults. Joe's clinical interests include substance use, grief, trauma, and anxiety and mood disorders within young adult and adult populations.
Contact: jmini001@odu.edu
Brynn Sheehan
Brynn is the BARS lab Project Coordinator. She is a second year in the Applied Experimental Ph.D. program and has a Masters in Justice from the University of New Hampshire. Her research interests include alcohol-related aggression, social dominance, and risky behaviors related to alcohol use.
Brynn's Curriculum Vitae
Contact: bshee006@odu.edu
Cristina Valdivieso
Cristina is currently a first-year graduate student in the Clinical Psychology PsyD program offered jointly through ODU, EVMS, and NSU. She earned her undergraduate degree from Longwood University in 2010 where she double majored in psychology and sociology. She earned her MA in psychology with a concentration in substance abuse treatment from the University of North Carolina Wilmington in 2012. Cristina is currently working on the REACH project as an interventionist. Her primary research interests center on the psychosocial factors that relate to alcohol and drug use in collegiate emerging adults.
Contact: cvald002@odu.edu
Evie
Evie is an undergraduate student at Old Dominion University majoring in Psychology with a minor in Studio Art. After she graduates in the summer of 2013, she plans on attending graduate school to study Clinical Psychology. She is also a member of Psi Chi and Golden Key International Honour Society.
Evie's Curriculum Vitae
Contact: ehemp001@odu.edu
Jasmine
Jasmine is a senior at Old Dominion University majoring in Psychology with an interest in human services. After graduating in May 2013, she plans to attend graduate school for counseling psychology. She wants to specialize in gerontology as well as family and marriage therapy. She is a part of numerous organizations both on and off campus. (Psi Chi, Sigma Alpha Lambda, TACP, AADA, etc.) and has also been a part of two undergraduate research laboratories.
Contact: jdhil001@odu.edu
Melanie
Melanie is a Senior at Old Dominion University majoring in Psychology. After graduating in 2013, she plans to pursue graduate school for counseling. She is a member of several honor societies including: Psi Chi, Golden Key, Sigma Alpha Lambda, and Tau Sigma. She is currently studying abroad in Leeds, England. The BARS lab looks forward to her return this summer.
Contact: mevan032@odu.edu
Sakon
Sakon is a Junior at Old Dominion University majoring in Psychology with a minor in Human Services. After graduating in May 2014, she plans to attend graduate school to study clinical psychology. Her primary interests are clinical and abnormal psychology.
Contact: vmcqu002@odu.edu
Samantha
Samantha is a senior at ODU double majoring in Psychology and Human Services. She is a member of the national and international honor societies Phi Kappa Phi, Psi Chi, Tua Upsilon Alpha, Sigma Alpha Lambda, Phi Eta Sigma, and Golden Key, as well as numerous student and professional organizations. After graduating in May 2013, she plans on pursuing graduate school for clinical psychology. Her interests include: addictions, mental health, criminal behavior, cognitive behavior, and physiology.
Samantha's Curriculum Vitae
Contact: smill110@odu.edu
