Dr. Buckner Named for Research Excellence

Louisiana State University Professor Dr. Julie Buckner has been named the G. Alan Marlatt Mid-Career Research Award winner for 2020, announced at this year’s annual meeting of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT) Addictive Behaviors & Anxiety Disorders Special Interest Group.

Julia Buckner is a Professor and Director of Clinical Training in the Department of Psychology at Louisiana State University 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 LSUHealth Sciences Center and a Visiting Professor at the London South Bank University School of Applied Sciences. She is also a licensed clinical psychologist.

The awards committee said, “Among the multiple renown and highly-productive researchers who were nominated this year, you were the unanimous choice of the award selection committee. The praised her “pioneering work on the role of anxiety in substance use and related problems as well as her commitment to the development of innovative treatments for addictive behaviors, her research with historically underrepresented groups, her work to disseminate evidence-based practice to Baton Rouge (a high need area), and her outstanding mentorship and commitment to teaching…”

Dr. Buckner said, “I am honored to have received this award. Alan Marlatt was committed to both research aimed at understanding substance misuse as well as the translation of evidence-based findings to help improve treatment outcomes. Receiving this award highlights my research on the impact of psychosocial vulnerability factors such as anxiety on the etiology and maintenance of substance use disorders and research on ways to best treat dually diagnosed patients.” She explained that these patients, such as those with comorbid anxiety and substance use disorders tend to have poorer treatment outcomes.

Dr. Buckner’s program of research primarily focuses on: (1) delineation of causal and maintaining factors implicated in substance use disorders, especially the role of affect-related vulnerability factors; and (2) development and evaluation of empirically-informed treatment and prevention protocols for substance use disorders, including treatment for cooccurring anxiety-substance use disorders.

Dr. Buckner has had over 150 publications and has been involved in several NIH grants. She is currently Primary Investigator on a graduate education training grant from the US Department of Health & Human Services’ HRSA to integrate clinical graduate students into Our Lady of the Lake Hospital in Baton Rouge to bring evidence-based psychotherapy for substance use disorders, with a particular focus on treatment for opioid misuse. She has also received awards from organizations such as the American Psychological Association, College on Problems of Drug Dependence, Anxiety Disorders Association of America.

The award is in honor of Dr. G. Alan Marlatt for his distinguished career as a pioneer and innovator in cognitivebehavioral therapy and research on addictive behaviors.

Dr. Buckner said, “This award is unique in that it also highlights our work that more directly impacts the lives of individuals in Baton Rouge who are suffering from these conditions, including our efforts to bring MET-CBT for substance use disorders (including those with dual diagnoses) to several locations throughout Baton Rouge, including the 19th JDC Adult Drug Treatment Court Program, Our Lady of the Lake’s outpatient clinic Center for Psychiatric Services, and thanks to a recent HRSA grant we received from the US Dept of Health & Human Services, to several units in OLOL Hospital.”

Also at this year’s conference Kayce Hopper was awarded the Outstanding Student Poster award for her poster, “Dual electronic and combustible smokers use of cannabis in relation to pain and hazardous drinking.”

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