University of North Texas 
Faculty, Graduate Students, and Alumni
Faculty
Heidemarie Blumenthal, Ph.D.
Professor
Education
University of Arkansas - Fayetteville, 2012
Curriculum Vitae
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).
Student Admission: Dr. Blumenthal will be accepting new student applications for the
December 1, 2025, deadline Admissions Cycle.
Email: Heidemarie.Blumenthal@unt.edu
Office: Terrill Hall - 349
Teen St.A.R. Laboratory Curriculum Vitae Grant Funding Publications
Adriel Boals, Ph.D.
Professor
Education
North Carolina State University - North Carolina, 2002
Research Interests
My primary research interest is coping with trauma, with an emphasis on autobiographical memory. We focus on three primary areas of trauma: 1) perceptions of posttraumatic growth (the idea that some trauma survivors grow in important ways as a result of going through adversarial events), 2) the etiology of PTSD, and 3) various coping strategies trauma survivors engage in and their impact on mental and physical well-being.
Student Admission: Dr. Boals will not be accepting new graudate applications for the December 1, 2025, deadline Admissions Cycle.
Email: adriel@unt.edu
Office: Terrill Hall - 363
Boal's LabCurriculum VitaeGrant FundingPublications
North Carolina State University - North Carolina, 2002
Research Interests
My primary research interest is coping with trauma, with an emphasis on autobiographical memory. We focus on three primary areas of trauma: 1) perceptions of posttraumatic growth (the idea that some trauma survivors grow in important ways as a result of going through adversarial events), 2) the etiology of PTSD, and 3) various coping strategies trauma survivors engage in and their impact on mental and physical well-being.
Student Admission: Dr. Boals will not be accepting new graudate applications for the December 1, 2025, deadline Admissions Cycle.
Email: adriel@unt.edu
Office: Terrill Hall - 363
Boal's LabCurriculum VitaeGrant FundingPublications
Donald Dougherty, Ph.D.
Professor, Chair
Education
Ohio University, Athens, OH-1992
Research Interests
Specializing in research around substance abuse.
Student Admission: Dr. Dougherty will be accepting new student applications for the
December 1, 2025, deadline Admissions Cycle.
Email: Donald.Dougherty@unt.edu
Office: Terrill Hall- 333
Tarc Lab Website Curriculum Vitae Grant Funding Publications
Casey Guillot
Associate Professor
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 not be accepting new student applicants for the
December 1, 2025, deadline Admissions Cycle.
Email: Casey.Guillot@unt.edu
Office: Terrill Hall-382
Lab Website Curriculum Vitae Grant Funding Publications
Kimberly Kelly
Associate Professor
Dr. Kimberly Kelly attended the University of Kentucky, earning her Ph.D. in 1988.
Professional Positions:
Email: Kimberly.Kelly@unt.edu
Office: Terrill Hall - 347
Lab Website Curriculum Vitae Grant Funding Publications
Professional Positions:
- Associate Professor, University of North Texas. University of North Texas. (1998 - Present).
- Assistant Professor, University of North Texas. University of North Texas. (1991 - 1998).
- Postdoctoral Fellow, Strong Memorial Hosp. Rochester, NY. Strong Memorial Hosp. Rochester, NY. (1988 - 1991).
- American Association for the Advancement of Science. (Present).
- International Society of Psychoneuroendocrinology. (Present).
- New York Academy of Sciences. (Present).
- Psychoneuroimmunological Research Society. (Present).
Email: Kimberly.Kelly@unt.edu
Office: Terrill Hall - 347
Lab Website Curriculum Vitae Grant Funding Publications
Brett Messman
Assistant Professor
Dr. Messman is a behavioral health scientist interested in investigating the biobehavioral
and psychosocial determinants of healthy aging across adult development. He completed
a Ph.D. in behavioral science at the University of North Texas in 2024 and was a NIA
T32 postdoctoral fellow in the Pathways Program at the Pennsylvania State University,
Center for Healthy Aging. Dr. Messman is the director of the Ambulatory Healthy Aging (AHA Lab). The long-term
research goals of the AHA Lab are to: 1) investigate how modifiable health behaviors
(e.g., sleep) change in response to daily challenges (e.g., stress, negative emotions)
across the lifespan; 2) identify the extent to which changes in health behavior responsiveness
to daily challenges influence age-affiliated health trajectories (e.g., immunosenescence,
accelerated biological aging, cognitive decline); and 3) evaluate potential mechanisms
underlying these associations (e.g., inflammation). To investigate related research
questions, we use ecological momentary assessment, ambulatory psychophysiological
assessments (e.g., actigraphy, EEG, cardiovascular monitoring), biological assays
(e.g., inflammation, viral load), longitudinal data analysis, and secondary data analysis/harmonization
studies.
Student Admission: Dr. Messman will be taking new students applications for the December
1, 2025, deadline Admissions Cycle.
Email: Brett.Messman@unt.edu
Office: Terrill Hall-
Lab Website Curriculum Vitae Grant Funding Publications
Email: Brett.Messman@unt.edu
Office: Terrill Hall-
Lab Website Curriculum Vitae Grant Funding Publications
Ryan Olson
Associate Professor
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 student applications for the December
1, 2025, deadline Admissions Cycle.
Email: Ryan.Olson@unt.edu
Office: Terrill Hall
Lab Website Curriculum Vitae Grant Funding Publications
Anthony J. Ryals
Director, Behavioral Science Program Associate Professor
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 accepting new student applications for the December
1, 2025, deadline Admissions Cycle.
Email: anthony.ryals@unt.edu
Office: Terrill Hall - 371
Lab Website Curriculum Vitae Grant Funding Publications
Danica Slavish
she/her Associate Professor
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 accepting new student applications for the
December 1, 2025, deadline Admissions Cycle.
Email: Danica.Slavish@unt.edu
Office: Terrill Hall - 372
Lab Website Curriculum Vitae Grant Funding Publications
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Graduate Students
Isamar Almeida
Doctoral Student -Behavioral Science Graduate Research Assistant SHEL Lab and S.Tr. E.S. S Lab
I am a fourth-year PhD candidate in the Behavioral Science program. My research broadly
focuses on sleep, health, and stress, with a particular emphasis on immigrant populations.
Major Professor: Dr. Danica Slavish
Alexis Bechtel
Doctoral Student -Behavioral Science
Hi, My name is Alexis. I am a first-year PhD student in the Behavioral Science program.
My research interests center on anxiety and stress psychopathology, particularly in children and adolescents, and the impact on developmental and health outcomes.
Major Professor: Dr. Heidemarie Blumenthal.
My research interests center on anxiety and stress psychopathology, particularly in children and adolescents, and the impact on developmental and health outcomes.
Major Professor: Dr. Heidemarie Blumenthal.
Anjy Dunlap
Doctoral Student -Behavioral Science
I’m a first-year Ph.D. student in Behavioral Science program here at UNT. My research
interests focus on the intergenerational transmission of trauma, particularly how
parental PTSD and chronic stress impact mental health outcomes in children.
Major Professor: Dr. Adriel Boals
Major Professor: Dr. Adriel Boals
Janice Goris
Doctoral Student -Behavioral Science
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
Daniel Kalanyos
Doctoral Student -Behavioral Science
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
Ruth King
Doctoral Student -Behavioral Science
Ruth King is a fifth-year doctoral student in the Behavioral Science Ph.D. program,
conducting research under the mentorship of Dr. Anthony Ryals (UNT) and Dr. Rex Wright
(UT Dell Medical School). Her work examines how traumatic experiences influence motivation
in war-impacted populations, such as veterans and refugees. Her current research investigates
the effects of military-related trauma on impulse control responses in service members.
Major Professor: Dr.Anthony Ryals
Major Professor: Dr.Anthony Ryals
Andrea Mack
Doctoral Student -Behavioral Science
I started studying in the Behavior Science doctoral program in Fall 2024. I earned
my MS degree from Arizona State University and am a board certified and licensed behavior
analyst. My research interests include delayed discounting and behavioral interventions
for risky behaviors, such as substance abuse.
Major Professor: Dr. Donald Dougherty
Major Professor: Dr. Donald Dougherty
Riley Petherbridge
Doctoral Student -Behavioral Science
My name is Riley Petherbridge and I am an incoming first year student. My current
research interests involve understanding how depressive disorders can influence cognition
and the risk for developing cognitive deficits, as well as preventative measures for
cognitive decline.
Major Professor: Dr. Anthony Ryals.
Major Professor: Dr. Anthony Ryals.
Alumni
Dr. Bert Hayslip
Professor Emeritus
Yolanda Flores Niemann
Professor Emeritus
Expertise: Yolanda Flores Niemann is Professor of Psychology at the University of North Texas
(UNT). She comes to the Psychology Department with extensive administrative experience.
Previously, she served as Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affair at UNT, Vice Provost
and Dean at Utah State University, and held numerous administrative positions at Washington
State University, including Chair of the Department of Comparative Ethnic Studies.
She has been Principal Investigator of over 40 million dollars in federal outreach
grants. Her most prominent research areas include the effects and social ecological
contexts of stereotypes, especially in academia, and the psychological effects of
tokenism. Her most recent book (coedited) is Presumed Incompetent: The Intersections of Race and Class for Women in Academia, which
has been featured in the Chronicle of Higher Education. Other books include Black/Brown Relations and Stereotypes, and Chicana Leadership. She has notable chapters in To Improve the Academy; The Handbook of Chicana and Chicano Psychology and Mental Health; The Handbook of
Racial and Ethnic Minority Psychology; as well as numerous articles in refereed journals including: Journal of Applied Psychology; Journal of Applied Social Psychology; Sociological
Perspectives; Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin; The Journal for the Theory of Social Behavior; Frontiers: A Journal of Women's Studies, and Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences. Please view my CV here.
Dr. Rex A. Wright
Professor Emeritus
Currently at University of Texas Dell School of Medicine: Rex A. Wright, Ph.D. | Dell Medical School