Faculty, Graduate Students, and Alumni

http://psychology.unt.edu/teen-star-laboratory
PhD: University of Arkansas - Fayetteville, 2012

Research Interests: Etiology of anxiety and problematic substance use; co-occurring anxiety and alcohol use among adolescents; developmental psychopathology. How significant facets of adolescence (e.g., puberty) relate to the onset/maintenance of anxiety psychopathology and drinking behaviors; advancing methodological rigor via a convergence of techniques (e.g., experimental psychopathology, multi-modal assessment).

Teen ST.A.R. Laboratory

Dr. Blumenthal will be accpeting new students for Fall 2025.

Department Chair and Professor
Dr. Don Dougherty received his Ph.D. from Ohio University and specializes in research around Substance Abuse.

Dr. Dougherty is the Chair of UNT's Psychology department, and his research interests are primarily centered around substance abuse. He completed his graduate training in Psychology at Ohio University and then held a National Institute for Drug Abuse sponsored postdoctoral research fellowship at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHSCH). In his free time, he likes to go camping, travel, and complete projects around his home!

Student Admission: Dr. Dougherty will be taking new students for the Fall 2025 admission cycle.

BS and MS (Psychology): University of Louisiana at Lafayette, 2002 and 2005

PhD (Experimental Psychology): The University of Southern Mississippi, 2012

Postdoctoral Training (Addiction Research): University of Southern California, 2013-2016

Research Page: https://psychology.unt.edu/disposition-emotion-addiction-research-dear-l...

Research Interests: Dr. Guillot's Disposition, Emotion, & Addiction Research Laboratory (DEAR Lab) investigates the etiology and the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral effects of substance use and other addictive or impulsive behaviors (e.g., behavioral addictions and aggression/self-harm).

Student Admission: Dr. Guillot will be taking new students for the Fall 2025 admission cycle.

Dr. Ryan Olson joined the University of North Texas as an Assistant Professor in fall 2016. He received his B.S. in Kinesiology and Health Promotion from the University of Wyoming prior to completing his Ph.D. in Nutritional Sciences at Rutgers University. His research interests center on the fields of Sport and Exercise Psychology, with an emphasis on implementing psychophysiological techniques, including electrocardiography (ECG) and electroencephalography (EEG), to identify neural biomarkers of disease. Specifically, Dr. Olson focuses on: 1) the effects of acute and chronic exercise for improving neurocognitive function and mental health, and 2) examining neurocognitive deficits and autonomic function in at-risk populations, especially in concussed and obese individuals.

Lab website:

https://appliedphysiologylab.unt.edu/facilities/psychophysiology

Student Admission: Dr. Olson will be taking new students for the Fall 2025 admission cycle.

https://psychology.unt.edu/unt-neurocognitive-laboratory

PhD: Colorado State University, 2012
Postdoctoral Fellowship: Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

Research Summary: In my research program, I seek to advance understanding of how explicit and implicit processes operate and interact in episodic memory. Relatedly, this research involves investigating how executive functioning and subjective awareness of memory (or lack of awareness) relates to behavior, brain function, and quality of life in both healthy and cognitively impaired populations. In my research I use integrative research methods including computerized experimentation, eye tracking, electrophysiology (EEG and ERPs), neuroimaging, and neuropsychological assessments.

Student Admission: Dr. Ryals will be taking new students for the 2025 Admissions Cycle.

https://shellab.weebly.com/

PhD: The Pennsylvania State University, 2017

Research Interests: Dr. Slavish is a health psychologist interested in examining the behavioral and physiological pathways linking sleep, stress, and health over time. In the Sleep and Health in Everyday Life (SHEL) Lab, we investigate a number of research questions, including: 1) why some people experience impaired sleep, both generally and day-to-day, 2) how inflammation may be a mediator between sleep, circadian disruption, and disease, 3) how emotion and stress reactivity are bidirectionally associated with sleep, and 4) how these relationships vary across different populations. To assess these constructs, we use experience-sampling designs (e.g., ecological momentary assessment), ambulatory psychophysiology assessments (e.g., actigraphy, EEG), and longitudinal data analyses.

Student Admission: Dr. Slavish will be taking new students for the Fall 2026 admission cycle.

I am an incoming first-year graduate student who received a B.S. in Psychology from Santa Ursula University (Brazil) in January 2024. My research interests broadly include associations between sleep disturbances, stress, and trauma. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with friends, reading, watching series, running, and exploring new places.

Major Professor: Dr. Danica Slavish

My name is Daniel Kalanyos, and I am passionate about improving people's lives through research. My research interest is Mentorship (Peer Support) as a Pathway to Heal Trauma and the Brain. I am currently in my first year, and excited for what's to come. 

Major professor: Dr. Adriel Boals