Lab Director
Michael Amlung, Ph.D.
Director, KU Behavioral Economics & Addictions Neuroscience Laboratory
Associate Professor, Department of Applied Behavioral Science
Associate Director for Training, Cofrin Logan Center for Addiction Research and Treatment
University of Kansas
Email: mamlung@ku.edu
Twitter @MAmlung
Pronouns: He/Him
You are encouraged to share your pronouns in communications with Dr. Amlung
Dr. Amlung completed his PhD in psychology with a concentration in behavioral and brain sciences from the University of Georgia. He then completed a NIAAA-funded (T32) postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Missouri. In 2015, he began his academic career at as an Assistant Professor (promoted to Associate Professor in 2020) in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster University. He was Director of the Behavioural Sciences Core of the Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research and a faculty scientist in the Michael G. DeGroote Centre for Medicinal Cannabis Research. In the summer of 2020, Dr. Amlung moved to the University of Kansas where he is an Associate Professor in the Department of Applied Behavioral Science and Associate Director for Training of the Cofrin Logan Center for Addiction Research and Treatment.
Dr. Amlung's research program examines the behavioral and neurobiological basis of addictive disorders and related mental health disorders, with an emphasis on understanding pathological decision-making and motivation for addictive substances. His research uses a variety of techniques including testing studies in simulated bar laboratories, functional and structural brain imaging, and non-invasive brain stimulation. His work also uses behavioral economic methods to inform public policy around cannabis legalization.
Visit Dr. Amlung's KU Applied Behavioral Science Faculty Profile to learn more about his research interests, mentorship/teaching activities, and service roles.
Postdoctoral Fellows
Sarah Weinsztok, Ph.D.
Sarah Weinsztok (she/her) completed her Ph.D. in psychology with a concentration in behavior analysis from the University of Florida in 2021. Following the completion of her doctoral degree, Dr. Weinsztok moved to Lawrence, KS where she began her appointment as a postdoctoral researcher with the Cofrin Logan Center for Addiction Research
Sarah Weinsztok (she/her) completed her Ph.D. in psychology with a concentration in behavior analysis from the University of Florida in 2021. Following the completion of her doctoral degree, Dr. Weinsztok moved to Lawrence, KS where she began her appointment as a postdoctoral researcher with the Cofrin Logan Center for Addiction Research and Treatment and the KU Lifespan Institute. Dr. Weinsztok adopts a reinforcer pathology approach to understanding maladaptive behavior and utilizes behavioral economics as a framework to understand patterns of alcohol and substance use. Currently, Dr. Weinsztok’s work explores the effect of alternative commodity availability on substance use and its utility as a component of assessment and treatment of alcohol use disorder.
Graduate Students
Brandon Miller, M.S.
Brandon is a graduate student in the Applied Behavioral Science doctoral program at the University of Kansas. He earned his Master's in Clinical Behavioral Psychology at Eastern Michigan University, where his research focused on non-medical prescription stimulant use among undergraduate students and contingency management for opioid use.
Brandon is a graduate student in the Applied Behavioral Science doctoral program at the University of Kansas. He earned his Master's in Clinical Behavioral Psychology at Eastern Michigan University, where his research focused on non-medical prescription stimulant use among undergraduate students and contingency management for opioid use. After earning his M.S., he conducted neuropsychological assessments on individuals with cognitive loss at an outpatient clinic in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Undergraduate Students
Alyssa Biles
Kaia Schwartz
Alyssa Biles
Alyssa Biles is a third-year undergraduate student at the University of Kansas. She is double majoring in Applied Behavioral Science and Psychology, with a minor in Human Sexuality. She plans to pursue a Master’s degree in Forensic Psychology to apply psychology principles to the criminal justice system.
Will Davis
Kaia Schwartz
Alyssa Biles
Will Davis is currently a senior year psychology student. He is preparing to apply for Clinical Psychology PhD programs where he hopes to further learn how to research and treat substance use disorders.
Kaia Schwartz
Kaia Schwartz
Kaia Schwartz
Kaia Schwartz is a first year undergraduate student majoring in Behavioral Neuroscience. She is on the pre-med track, so after completing her undergraduate studies she’ll plan to attend medical school. She aspires to pursue a career in Psychiatry or Dermatology. This is her first semester getting into research and she is excited for the experience and ready to learn
Katie Hulla
Melissa Hamilton
Melissa Hamilton
Katie is a third-year undergraduate student at the University of Kansas. She is majoring in Applied Behavioral Science with plans to pursue a Juris Doctor degree following undergraduate studies. She looks forward to drawing connections between information learned in the Lab, human behaviors, and the law.
Melissa Hamilton
Melissa Hamilton
Melissa Hamilton
Melissa is a fifth year student at the University of Kansas. She is working towards a degree in Applied Behavioral Science with an emphasis in Early Childhood Intervention. She is an advocate for mental health awareness and expanding research on alternatives to physical prompting as an intervention method. As someone who has been seen th
Melissa is a fifth year student at the University of Kansas. She is working towards a degree in Applied Behavioral Science with an emphasis in Early Childhood Intervention. She is an advocate for mental health awareness and expanding research on alternatives to physical prompting as an intervention method. As someone who has been seen the impact of addiction first-hand, she values educating others about moderation and looks forward to her experience in the lab.
Research Staff
Emma Marsden, M.Sc.
Tegan Hargreaves, M.Sc.
Tegan Hargreaves, M.Sc.
Emma Marsden is a staff research assistant in the Peter Boris Centre for the Addictions Research at McMaster University. Emma is the project coordinator of the our lab's RES-CUE fMRI study being conducted at McMaster. Before starting graduate school, Emma was previously project coordinator of multiple studies (traumatic brain injury in co
Emma Marsden is a staff research assistant in the Peter Boris Centre for the Addictions Research at McMaster University. Emma is the project coordinator of the our lab's RES-CUE fMRI study being conducted at McMaster. Before starting graduate school, Emma was previously project coordinator of multiple studies (traumatic brain injury in concurrent disorders; contingency management for smoking cessation in schizophrenia).
Tegan Hargreaves, M.Sc.
Tegan Hargreaves, M.Sc.
Tegan Hargreaves, M.Sc.
Tegan is a graduate student in the Neuroscience Graduate Program at McMaster University (supervised by Dr. James MacKillop) in the Peter Boris Centre. Tegan is currently working on the RES-CUE study in the lab. She completed her MSc in neuroscience from Queen’s University in 2019 studying the neural correlates of working memory in majo
Tegan is a graduate student in the Neuroscience Graduate Program at McMaster University (supervised by Dr. James MacKillop) in the Peter Boris Centre. Tegan is currently working on the RES-CUE study in the lab. She completed her MSc in neuroscience from Queen’s University in 2019 studying the neural correlates of working memory in major depressive disorder. Tegan’s main role in the Peter Boris Centre is as a neuroimager, working on both structural and functional MRI.
Collaborators
Derek D. Reed, Ph.D.
James MacKillop, Ph.D.
James MacKillop, Ph.D.
James MacKillop, Ph.D.
James MacKillop, Ph.D.
James MacKillop, Ph.D.
Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University
James G. Murphy, Ph.D.
James MacKillop, Ph.D.
Lawrence H. Sweet, Ph.D.
Lawrence H. Sweet, Ph.D.
Elizabeth A. Aston, Ph.D.
Lawrence H. Sweet, Ph.D.
Elizabeth A. Aston, Ph.D.
Elizabeth A. Aston, Ph.D.
Elizabeth A. Aston, Ph.D.
Laura E. Martin, Ph.D
Elizabeth A. Aston, Ph.D.
Elizabeth A. Aston, Ph.D.
Population Health, Hoglund Biomedical Imaging Center, KU Medical Center
Justin Strickland, Ph.D.
Justin Strickland, Ph.D.
Justin Strickland, Ph.D.
Denis M. McCarthy, Ph.D.
Justin Strickland, Ph.D.
Justin Strickland, Ph.D.
Department of Psychological Sciences University of Missouri