Laboratory Personnel
Director
Julia Buckner is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at LSU and the Director
of LSU's Anxiety and Addictive Behaviors Laboratory & Clinic. She is also a Clinical
Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at LSU-Health Sciences Center
and a licensed clinical psychologist. Dr. Buckner's program of research primarily
focuses on: (1) psycho-sociocultural causal and maintaining factors implicated in
substance use disorders and co-occurring anxiety-substance use disorders; and (2)
development and evaluation of empirically-informed treatment and prevention protocols
for substance use disorders, including treatment for co-occurring anxiety-substance
use disorders. Dr. Buckner has had over 200 publications and she has utilized a variety
of methodological procedures in her research, including ecological momentary assessment,
affect and craving induction paradigms, attentional processing paradigms, technology-based
interventions, and randomized clinical trials. She has been involved with several
NIH grants as PI, co-PI, consultant, and sponsor and is currently Project Director
on her second graduate education training grant from the US Department of Health &
Human Services' HRSA. She has also received funding from the Louisiana Department
of Health and awards from organizations such as the American Psychological Association,
College on Problems of Drug Dependence, Anxiety Disorders Association of America,
and Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT) Addictive Behaviors
& Anxiety Disorders Special Interest Groups.
Graduate Students
Caroline Scherzer received her Bachelor of Science degree in Human Development from Virginia Tech in 2018. She joined LSU’s Clinical Psychology program in 2021. Her research interests include improving treatment outcomes for adults with substance use disorders (especially opioid use disorders) by identifying mediating and moderating factors involved in the onset, experience, and maintenance of maladaptive behaviors in order to translate this information into evidence-based interventions. She will complete her pre-doctoral internship at the Medical University of South Carolina.
Katie Thomas received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Cognitive Science from Rice University in 2019. She joined LSU’s Clinical Psychology program in 2023. Her research interests include the interaction of traumatic stress on substance use patterns as well as identifying protective factors that reduce risk for the development of substance use disorders.
Luke Vargo joined LSU’s Clinical Psychology program in 2023 after receiving his Master of Arts
degree in Psychological Research from Texas State University the prior spring. His
research interests pertain to the transdiagnostic mechanisms between substance use
(particularly cannabis use) and anxiety disorders in hopes of refining available evidence-based
psychological treatments.
Christopher Buenrostro joined LSU's Clinical Psychology program in 2024 after receiving his Bachelor of
Science in Psychology from Santa Clara University the prior Spring. His research interests
include the etiology and treatment of substance use disorders.
Khoa Duc Le joined LSU’s Clinical Psychology program in 2025 after receiving his Bachelor of
Arts in Psychology from Case Western Reserve University in 2024. His research interests
center on understanding the factors that contribute to the initiation and maintenance
of substance use, with a particular focus on alcohol and methamphetamines. He is especially
interested in the role of co-occurring mental health disorders in shaping substance
use trajectories and treatment outcomes. Ultimately, Khoa’s work aims to develop integrative,
evidence-based approaches that address both substance use and mental health disorders
to enhance treatment adherence and support sustained abstinence.
Undergraduate Students
Chase Russell is a junior majoring in Psychology with a concentration in Cognitive Neuroscience.
Her research interests include racial disparities in healthcare and interventions
that address these gaps. She plans to attend medical school after graduating.
Molly McMaster is a senior majoring in Psychology with a minor in Dance. Her research interests
include anxiety disorders and Autism Spectrum Disorder in the hopes of refining innovative
options for treatment. She plans to attend graduate school to complete her Master's
degree in Counseling.
Alijah Murray is a junior majoring in Psychology with a concentration in Cognitive Neuroscience.
His research interests include adolescent mental health and sports psychology. He
plans to attend medical school after graduating.
Honors Students
Lan Qiu is a junior majoring in Psychology with double minors in Business Administration
and Chinese. Her research interests include the mental health of marginalized groups,
particularly racial minorities, and anxiety. She plans to attend graduate school in
clinical psychology.