Brianna Altman, Phd

Dr. Altman received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University at Albany, State University of New York (SUNY). She completed her predoctoral internship at the Alpert Medical School of Brown University and her postdoctoral training at the Addiction Health Behavior Center (AHBC) within the Department of Psychology at Rutgers University under the mentorship of Drs. Samantha Farris and Teresa Leyro.

Dr. Altman’s program of research focuses on identifying transdiagnostic affective and behavioral mechanisms that contribute to co-occurring substance use and internalizing pathology. A central goal of this work is to explore how these vulnerabilities operate both inter- and intra-individually and interact with real-world contexts to influence substance use behavior. Ultimately, this work aims to identify modifiable, proximal mechanisms that can inform the development and implementation of targeted, context-sensitive interventions for individuals with comorbid substance use and internalizing disorders.

Her current research is supported by a five-year, National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) K23 Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award. This project uses both qualitative approaches and ecological momentary assessment to examine how internal states and contextual factors influence individuals’ momentary distress intolerance and subsequent use of combustible cigarettes.