Current Team Members
Amy M. Cohn, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, University of Oklahoma College of Medicine
Amy Cohn, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine. She also is an affiliate member of the OU PRIME (Psychological Research on Information and Media Effects) Lab, which is hosted by the University of Oklahoma Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication in the Center for Applied Social Research.
Cohn’s research program focuses on tobacco regulatory science and smoking cessation interventions, among groups that are disproportionately affected by tobacco use outcomes, including young tobacco users, minority populations, and smokers with mental health and substance use comorbidities. The goal of her research is to identify factors that promote or impede positive behavior so that these factors can be targeted in policy, prevention, and intervention efforts to deter initiation, prevent escalation of tobacco and other substance use, and maximize cessation efforts. Her research utilizes both epidemiological, survey-based assessment and experimental approaches, like ecological momentary assessment, behavioral economic paradigms, laboratory smoking topography, and cognitive tasks.
She has been Principal Investigator and co-investigator on grants funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), and the American Cancer Society (ACS). Her work has been continuously funded by the NIH and/or FDA since 2010.
Sarah Ehlke, Ph.D. – Postdoctoral Fellow
Education:
B.A. Psychology – University of South Florida
M.S. Criminology – University of South Florida
M.A. Psychology – University of North Carolina Wilmington
Ph.D. Health Psychology – Old Dominion University
Sarah is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the TSET Health Promotion Research Center. She received her bachelor’s degree in psychology and master’s degree in criminology from the University of South Florida. She received another master’s degree in psychology from the University of North Carolina Wilmington and her doctorate in health psychology from Old Dominion University. Sarah’s research interests examine contextual (e.g., location, peers) and socio-cognitive (e.g., perceived norms, motives) factors that influence substance use and risk for sexual violence among sexual minority women. Her dissertation integrated sexual minority stress theory and behavioral economic theory to examine if alcohol demand moderated the association between microaggressions and same-day alcohol use/consequences among emerging adult bisexual women using a daily diary design. Her current research will focus on poly-substance use among sexual minority women.
Michael A. Smith, M.S. – Sponsored Program Coordinator
Education:
B.A. Art – East Central University of Oklahoma
M.S. Wellness Management – Exercise Science – University of Central Oklahoma
Michael joined the lab in March of 2020 as a research technician. Michael earned his Bachelor’s in Fine Art at East Central University of Oklahoma in 1999, after which he spent the next 15 years as a website design and audio/visual professional. In 2015, Michael attended the University of Central Oklahoma to obtain a Master’s in Wellness Management with a focus in Exercise Science and then moved to the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center where he is currently in his final semesters as a Master of Public Health student. Michael’s primary research interests are in Medical and Non-Medical Cannabis use, beliefs, and behavior among users and non-users.
Delaney S. Dunn, M.S. – Research Technician
Education:
B.A. Psychology – Southwestern University
M.S. Clinical Psychology – Oklahoma State University
Delaney is a third-year clinical psychology graduate student at Oklahoma State University. Her research interests focus on alcohol-related consequences associated with college drinking, and the stigma of substance use.
Taylor Niznik, B.A., B.S. – Research Technician
Education:
B.A. Piano – University of Oklahoma
B.S. Biomedical Engineering – University of Oklahoma
Taylor joined the lab in August of 2020 following graduation from the University of Oklahoma. Her research interests include examining factors that influence substance use and utilization of healthcare tools to promote positive health behavior.
Riley Wyatt, B.A. – Research Technician
Education:
B.A. Psychology – University of Central Oklahoma
Riley is a research technician preparing for graduate school in 2021. His prospective research interests include the cognitive and neural processes of memory encoding, storage, and retrieval. His long-term goal is a career in academia.
Alumni Team Members
Whitney Cotten, M.A. – Research Program Coordinator
Whitney started working in the lab in 2017. In that time she has been a part of numerous studies, grant/project transfers, and managed studies for two primary investigators. She received her bachelor’s in forensic science with minors in chemistry, biology, and criminal justice from the University of Central Oklahoma and a master’s in anthropology at Wichita State University. Whitney is now working on a PhD in Integrative Anthropological Sciences at the University of Central Florida.
Rob Wild, M.S., M.P.H. – Senior Biostatistician
Education:
M.S. Biostatistics – University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
M.P.H. – University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
Rob joined the Oklahoma Tobacco Research Center in the Spring of 2020 as a Senior Research Biostatistician. He earned his MS degree in Biostatistics and MPH in Public Health from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. He’s worked in academic research for over 10 years and has worked at Georgia State University in Atlanta and Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts.