My primary research interest is in the aetiology of young adult heavy and problem alcohol use. My research aims to explicate the positive and negative reinforcement pathways that lead to problematic drinking, particularly for those transitioning from adolescence to early adulthood. Within this framework I examine the role of individual-level factors such as personality (i.e., behavioural inhibition/approach systems), social anxiety, and cognitive processes (e.g., self-regulatory and impulsive processes) to distinguish who is at risk and the inherent mechanisms. I also consider environmental and cultural context in models of risk and resilience.
