Social Cognitive and Addiction Neuroscience Lab (SCANlab)

SCANlab Members

Lab Director

Bruce D. Bartholow, PhD

Lab Director | Professor, Ketchel Family Chair, University of Iowa
Psychological and Brain Sciences Department
(573) 882-1805 472 Psychological and Brain Sciences Building
bruce-bartholow@uiowa.edu

Dr. Bartholow is the director of the Social Cognitive and Addiction Neuroscience lab (SCANlab) and is Professor and Ketchel Family Chair in the Psychological and Brain Sciences Department at the University of Iowa. His research interests fall generally within four distinct yet overlapping areas: (1) the role of cognitive control in social behavior; (2) acute effects of alcohol on cognitive control; (3) individual differences in neurobiologically based risks for addiction, primarily alcohol use disorder; and (4) effects of incidental stimulus exposure on cognition and behavior (i.e., priming effects). The common theme around which these lines of work are integrated is the interplay between salience (i.e., motivational significance) and cognitive control.

    • Google Scholar
    • Research Gate
    • UI Psychological and Brain Sciences

    SCAN lab at Mizzou

    Lab Members

    Liam Peck, B.S.

    Research Coordinator
    As of July 2023, Liam is the project coordinator for the "CLAS Study", our ongoing large multi-method longitudinal project funded by the NIAAA ('Characterizing Low Alcohol Sensitivity in Laboratory and Real-World Contexts, NIH R01-AA-025451). Undergraduate RAs should contact Liam to inquire about lab openings.
    Joined in 2021 124 Psych Bldg
    lcp6qt@umsystem.edu

    Roberto Cofresi, PhD

    Research Assistant Professor
    Former postdoctoral fellow for 4 years in the lab, Dr. Cofresi received a prestigious NIH-NIAAA K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Career Award and is now a Research Assistant Professor at the University of Missouri forward-translating preclinical non-human animal models of addiction relapse risk into human laboratory models and testing their clinical utility.
    Joined in 2018 123 Psych Bldg
    cofresir@missouri.edu

    Casey Kohen, MA

    Graduate Student | Clinical Psychology Area
    Casey completed his bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and his master’s degree in Psychology from San Diego State University. He is broadly interested in using event-related potentials (ERPs) to understand how neurocogntive processes contribute to the etiology, maintenance, and abatement of substance use disorders.
    Joined in 2019 119 Psych Bldg
    ckohen@mail.missouri.edu

    Emma Johnson, B.S.

    Postbac Research Technician
    Joined Spring 2021
    Major: Biology

    Jasmine Chen

    Undergrad Research Assistant
    Joined Spring 2022

    Hannah Drzewiecki

    Undergrad Research Assistant
    Joined Spring 2022

    Marcus Ehrhart

    Undergrad Research Assistant
    Major: Psychology
    Joined Fall 2022

    SCAN lab at Iowa

    Lab Members

    Nicole Schlegel, B.A.

    Research Coordinator
    Nicole completed her B.A. in Psychology with a Neuroscience concentration at Grinnell College in 2022. As of Summer 2023, she is the research coordinator for the SCAN lab at the University of Iowa. She is broadly interested in identifying risk and protective factors for mood and substance use disorders during development. Outside of the lab, Nicole enjoys cycling and vegetarian cooking.
    Joined in 2023 PBSB 455G
    Nicole-schlegel@uiowa.edu

    Paul Brancaleone, MS

    Graduate Student | Social/Personality Area | Third year in the Psychology PhD program at UI on the individualized track
    Paul (PJ) received a BA in Psychology from Florida Atlantic University in 2016 & an MS in experimental psychology from Nova Southeastern University in 2018. His research interests center around the neuroscience of social perception, using Event related-potentials (ERPs) to study how we process traits including race, gender, and sexual orientation in others, and how the way these traits are processed translate to expressions of bias.
    Joined in 2021 PBSB 455G
    paul-brancaleone@uiowa.edu

    Elizabeth Widiger, B.A.

    Graduate Student | Clinical Science Area
    Elizabeth completed her bachelor's degree in psychology and economics at the University of Missouri before joining SCANlab as a Clinical Science graduate student. She is broadly interested in the interplay between salience and cognitive control and their implications for alcohol use and problems. Her interests ultimately lie in the betterment of addiction treatment through increased understanding of its neurobiological mechanisms. In her free time, Elizabeth loves running and obsessing over horror films.
    Joined in 2023 PBSB 455G
    elizabeth-widiger@uiowa.edu

    Angelyn Harms

    Research Assistant
    Angelyn has a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience and Minor in Psychology from the University of Iowa in 2022. She is interested in learning how psychiatric disorders develop and how they impact one’s cognitive functions. She is also gaining interest in addiction and its role within the brain. Her future plans include going to a graduate school with a focus on cognitive and/or behavioral neuroscience so that she can eventually lead her own research team. In her free time, she likes to play tennis, do puzzles, or bake.
    Joined 2023

    Will Slawson

    Research Assistant
    Will completed a B.S. in Neuroscience and a B.A. in English at the University of Iowa in 2023. His research interests include the neuroscience behind psychopathology and reward processing. Outside of work in the lab, he plays bass in a punk rock band.
    Joined 2023

    Megan Noonan

    Research Assistant
    Megan received a BS in Psychology from the University of Iowa in 2022. She is interested in using EEG technology to investigate the neurobehavioral indicators associated with meditation, emotion regulation, and substance use disorders. Outside the lab, she enjoys hiking, interior decorating, and going to concerts.
    Joined 2023

    Madison DeRaedt

    Research Assistant
    Madison earned an Associate of Arts at Elgin Community College and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at the University of Iowa in 2023. She is interested in the etiology of Alcohol Use Disorder and the relationship between alcohol consumption and anxiety. In her free time, she likes to play card and board games.
    Joined 2023

    Chani Parrott

    Undergraduate Research Assistant
    Chani is a senior at the University of Iowa majoring in psychology with minors in Spanish & international relations. When Chani's not in the lab, she enjoys reading and traveling, especially since her study abroad experience in Sevilla, Spain. Chani's research interests include gender and race with regard to perception, as well as language learning & cognition.
    Joined 2023

    Maddie Carlson

    Undergraduate Research Assistant
    Maddie is a senior at the University of Iowa majoring in Neuroscience. She is interested in how substance use disorders as well as other psychiatric disorders affect cognitive control and executive functioning and how this can be seen in things like reward monitoring. She also has a broad interest in cognitive control and addiction research. Her future goals are to attend a Cognitive Neuroscience PhD program. When she is not in the lab, Maddie enjoys playing with her cat Mr. Bean, reading, hiking, and running.
    Joined 2024

    Reed Boardman

    Undergraduate Research Assistant
    Reed is a junior at the University of Iowa majoring in Psychology and minoring in Human Physiology. He is interested in the neural processes of reward and motivation, memory consolidation and retrieval, and the relationship between these domains in drug-craving and addiction. In his free time, Reed enjoys running and beating his friends at chess.
    Joined 2024

    Lab alumni

    Who are they? Where are they now? A number of former SCANlab members have gone on to interesting and prosperous lives elsewhere. We are proud to call them our lab alumni. (If you belong on this list but you're not currently on it, send an email with your info and we'll add you.) *denotes approximate dates.


    Lab alumni > Graduate & Postdoc

    Kelsey Irvin

    Then (*2015-2022): Graduate Student, Clinical Psychology
    Last Known: Clinical Internship at SUNY Upstate Medical University-Syracuse

    Hannah Volpert-Esmond

    Then (2014-2020): Graduate Student, Social Psychology
    Last Known: Assistant Professor, The University of Texas at El Paso

    Jorge Martins

    Then (2014-2020): Graduate Student, Social Psychology
    Last Known: William James Center for Research ISPA – Instituto Universitário

    Meredith Johnson

    Then (*2013-*2019): Graduate Student, Social Psychology

    Curt Von Gunten

    Then (2012-2018): Graduate Undergrad Research Assistant
    Last Known: Data Scientist, Ford Motor Company

    Liana S. E. Hone

    Then (2015-2017): Postdoctoral Fellow
    Last Known: Assistant Professor of Health Education and Behavior at the University of Florida

    Ozlem Korucuoglu

    Then (2014-2016): Postdoctoral Fellow
    Last Known: Washington University School of Medicine.

    Kimberly A. Fleming

    Then (*2011-*2016) Graduate Student
    Last Known: Clinical Health Psychologist, Allegheny Health Network, Psychiatric and Behavioral Health Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    Kira Bailey

    Then (*2012-2015): Postdoctoral Fellow
    Last Known: Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Ohio Wesleyan University

    Elena V. Stepanova

    Then (2010-2011): Postdoctoral Fellow
    Last Known: Assistant Professor of Psychology, University of Southern Mississippi

    Chris Loersch

    Then (2009-2011): Postdoctoral Fellow
    Last Known: Research Scientist

    Eunsam Shin

    Then (2007-2010): Postdoctoral Fellow
    Last Known: Center for Cognitive Science, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea

    Eduardo Vasquez

    Then (2007-2009): Postdoctoral Fellow
    Last Known: Senior Lecturer in Forensic Psychology, Senior Academic Adviser, University of Kent, School of Psychology

    Sarah L. Tragesser

    Then (2005-2007): Postdoctoral Fellow
    Last Known: Associate Professor of Psychology, Washington State University

    Joseph Hilgard

    Then (2009-2015) Graduate Student
    Last Known: Data Scientist at AbbVie

    Chris Engelhardt

    Then (*2009-2013) Graduate Student
    Last Known: Data Scientist, Carfax, Inc.

    Sarah Lust

    Then (*2008-2011): Graduate Student
    Last Known: Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Psychological Sciences, Auburn University

    Erika Henry

    Then: Graduate Student
    Last Known: Principal Research Scientist & Head of Alexa Marketing Science, Amazon, Inc.

    Cheryl L. Dickter

    Then: Graduate Student
    Last Known: Associate Professor, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg , VA

    Marc Sestir

    Then: Graduate Student
    Last Known: Associate Professor of Psychology, University of Central Arkansas


    Lab alumni > Coordinators

    Sandie Keerstock, PhD

    Then (2020-2023): Research Coordinator

    Karen Yates

    Then (2019-2021): Research Coordinator

    Haley Benson

    Then (2018-2019): Research coordinator
    Last Known: University of Missouri School of Law

    Ellie Stillwell

    Then (2015-2016): Research coordinator
    Last Known: Assistant Professor of Management at the London School of Economics and Political Science


    Lab alumni > Undergraduate / Postbac

    Monika Bzdyk

    Then (2022-2023): Undergraduate Research Assistant

    Silas Kluever

    Then (2022-2023): Undergraduate Research Assistant

    Alana Hatanaka

    Then (2021-2023): Undergraduate Research Assistant
    Last Known: Research Coordinator in the Cofresilab

    Skye Jackson-Sims

    Then (2021-2023): Undergraduate Research Assistant

    Ian Flowers

    Then (2021-2023): Undergraduate McNair Scholar, Research Assistant, and Capstone Student
    Last Known: Graduate Program in Applied Psychology at Maastricht University, Netherlands

    Rawan Ebada

    Then (2021-2022): Undergraduate Research Assistant

    Mikayla Rodgers

    Then (2020-2022): Undergraduate Research Assistant
    Last Known: Research Specialist I, Edwards Lab, University of Missouri

    Bobbie Neustel

    Then (2021-2022): Undergraduate Research Assistant

    Ben Pfeifer

    Then (Spring 2022): Undergraduate Research Assistant

    Elizabeth Conley

    Then (2021-2022): Undergraduate Research Assistant

    Makayla Pollock

    Then (2021-2022): Undergraduate Research Assistant

    Devon Terry

    Then (2020-2022): Undergraduate McNair Scholar and Capstone Student
    Last Known: Program/Project Support Coordinator II, The Health Neuroscience Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Missouri

    Gage Crum

    Then (2018-2022): Undergraduate Student
    Last Known: Research Specialist, Clinical Neuropsychology Laboratory, University of Missouri

    Cole Schilling

    Then (2021-2022): Postbac Technician
    Last Known: Graduate Student, Counseling, University of Missouri-Kansas City

    Kristina Essig

    Then (2021): Undergraduate Student - Recruitment & Retention Specialist

    Anthony Alvarado

    Then (2020-2021): Work-Study Research Assistant

    Olivia Layton

    Then (2020-2021): Work-Study Research Assistant

    Kolton Speer

    Then (2018-2020): Undergraduate Research Assistant
    Last Known: PhD student in Computer Vision and Graphics at the University of Missouri

    Zachary Denton

    Then (2019-2020): Undergraduate Research Assistant

    Christina Werner

    Then (2019-2020): Undergraduate Research Assistant

    Karsen Wilkins

    Then (2019-2020): Undergraduate Research Assistant

    Kathryn McCulloch

    Then (2019-2021): Undergraduate Research Assistant

    Carsen Steele

    Then (2019-2020): Undergraduate Research Assistant

    Kyle Kirby

    Then (2019-2020): Undergraduate Research Assistant

    Harjeev Singh

    Then (2019-2020): Undergraduate Research Assistant

    Megan Fleming

    Then: Undergraduate Capstone Student
    Last Known: Graduate Student, Clinical Psychology Program, Department of Psychology, University of Missouri

    Ward Davis

    Then: Undergraduate Honors Undergrad Research Assistant
    Last Known: Assistant Professor, Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL