Meet the HIT Research Lab Team

Dr. Miller is a licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in the prevention and treatment of substance use disorders. She is part of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT) and is also board certified in Behavioral Sleep Medicine (diplomate of behavioral sleep medicine or DBSM). She received her doctorate from Oklahoma State University in 2015, after completing her clinical residency in the Brown University training consortium. She completed an NIAAA-funded postdoctoral fellowship at the Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies at Brown University from 2015-2017 and began a faculty position at the University of Missouri in July 2017. Her research aims to enhance understanding of the etiology of substance use disorders in order to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of treatment. She is particularly interested in the interplay of substance use and sleep disorders and the process by which personalized feedback on one’s health and behaviors may facilitate behavior change.

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Rebecca attended the University of Nebraska at Omaha, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience and a minor in Biology. She enjoys the logistical challenge of supporting research studies and is interested in the intersection between stress, addiction, and sleep.

Emily graduated from Mizzou with her Bachelor of Science in Psychology and minors in Biology and Human Development and Family Sciences. Her research interests include neuropsychology, teratogen exposure and prenatal substance use, addiction psychology, and health disparities. She is passionate about health education and promotion with a focus on creating accessible, evidence-based interventions to improve community health.

Allison attended the University of Missouri where she graduated with a degree in psychology. She is originally from Waynesville, MO and plans to pursue PhD in clinical psychology. To gain expertise in the etiology and treatment of substance use disorders.

Alea is a fifth-year clinical psychology graduate student. Before coming to Mizzou, she attended the University of Toledo (BA, Psychology) and the University of Dayton (MA, Clinical Psychology). Working under the primary mentorship of Dr. Ian Gizer, she studies the genomic origins of interplay between internalizing symptoms, externalizing symptoms, and alcohol use disorder.

Maria is a clinical psychology doctoral student at Mizzou. She graduated from the University of Miami in May of 2018 with a B.A. in Psychology. After graduation, she attended Boston University to pursue a Master of Arts in Psychology and graduated in 2019. She then worked as a Research Coordinator and Lab Manager in Dr. Robert Leeman's EDGE Lab at the University of Florida. Generally, she is interested in using ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to examine the context of alcohol use, environmental factors that relate to alcohol use, and drinking interventions in young adults.

Taylor is a Translational Biosciences doctoral student in the Tom and Anne Smith MD/PhD program at the MU School of Medicine. She graduated from Missouri University of Science and Technology (BSc, Psychological Sciences; BSc, Biology) in 2021. Currently, her research focuses on substance use disorders, health technologies, and end-of-life care. She joined the HIT Research Lab at the University of Missouri in 2025.

Alan is a clinical psychology graduate student whose research focuses on the relationship between cultural processes and mental health among marginalized individuals, especially Latines. He graduated from California State University – Fullerton in 2021 and is now training under the primary mentorship of Dr. Lisa Flores at the University of Missouri.

Katie is a clinical psychology doctoral student at Mizzou. She graduated from the University of Central Florida in May of 2021 with a B.S. in Psychology and Minor in Cognitive Sciences. After graduation, she attended Western Kentucky University to pursue a Master of Science in Psychological Sciences and graduated in 2023. Generally, she is interested in understanding how underlying factors such as sleep, craving, emotions, and psychological distress affect substance use in college students and emerging adults. She is also interested in using these factors to tailor interventions to reduce negative consequences of substance use and promote healthy sleep behaviors.

Jay is a PhD student in Clinical Psychology. He received his B.S. in Psychology from the University of Utah and M.S. in Psychological Science from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. His research focuses on addiction and sleep, exploring real-world behavioral, contextual, and physiological dynamics. He aims to contribute to the development of adaptive interventions that provide context-sensitive support, reduce the risk of relapse, and promote long-term recovery. To advance these goals, he strives to leverage wearable and mobile sensing technologies to capture everyday behavior beyond the laboratory. 

Mac is a clinical psychology graduate student. Before coming to Mizzou, he graduated from Chonnam National University (CNU), South Korea (BA, Psychology). After his undergraduate studies, he worked as a student researcher in Neuropsychology lab at CNU. He is working under the primary mentorship of Dr. Ian Gizer. He is interested in understanding how genetic data might be used to understand the phenotypic heterogeneity of alcohol use disorders

Sydney is a graduate student pursuing a PhD in clinical psychology. She graduated from Baker University with a BS in psychology and sociology. After her undergraduate studies, she attended graduate school at Missouri State University and received her MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Then, as a project coordinator for the MizZzou Sleep Research Lab, she worked on a NINR-funded study to investigate the impact of insomnia treatment on sleep and chronic pain outcomes of participants in enrolled in a randomized clinical trial. Sydney joined the HIT Research Lab at the University of Missouri in 2023. Her research interests include the use of ecological momentary assessment to better understand day-level drinking behaviors, alcohol-related consequences, and how sleep problems impact substance use.

Gracie is an undergraduate student at Mizzou majoring in Psychology and plan to minor in Japanese. Grace was born and raised in Columbia, Missouri and plans to attend grad school to get a master's or doctorate in clinical psychology. Her ultimate goal is to become a therapist. Gracie is most interested in psychology, but she is especially interested in depression and anthropology.