Robert Miranda Jr.
Assistant Professor (Rsch):
Psychiatry and Human Behavior
Phone: +1 401 867 3815
Robert_Miranda_Jr@Brown.EDU
Robert Miranda is currently the principal investigator on a National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)-funded laboratory study of biobehavioral mechanisms relating conduct disorder and drug abuse among adolescents. He is also a co-investigator on several federally-funded projects involving teens and addiction. In addition, he has a K-23 award from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) to develop expertise in conducting human laboratory and clinical trials research on pharmacotherapy for addictive behavior disorders.
Biography
Dr. Miranda is an assistant professor (Research) in the Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior. His research interests center on adolescent substance misuse and disruptive behavior disorders. Currently, he is the principal investigator on a NIDA funded laboratory study of biobehavioral mechanisms relating conduct disorder and drug abuse among adolescents. He is also a co-investigator on several federally-funded projects involving teens and substance misuse, including a randomized controlled trial of motivational interviewing for the treatment of adolescent substance misuse among incarcerated youth, a study of the influence of experimentally-induced negative affect on impulsivity and risk taking among adolescent experimental smokers, and a randomized controlled study of substance abuse among incarcerated teens using individual and group treatment sessions.
Dr. Miranda also has a career development award (K-23) from NIAAA to develop expertise in conducting human laboratory and clinical trials research on pharmacotherapy for addictive behavior disorders. With this award he is studying whether a novel medication dose-dependently decreases the probability and intensity of urge to drink among persons with alcohol dependence in a laboratory-based cue reactivity assessment, and whether this medication affects the subjective stimulatory and dysphoric effects of alcohol ingestion during an alcohol challenge. He is a co-investigator on several federally-funded projects in this area including a placebo-controlled randomized trial of the effects of a novel medication on withdrawal and smoking cue reactivity following tobacco deprivation, a study of the effects of naltrexone on urges to drink, drinking rates, and effects of alcohol among heavy drinkers using palm-top computers in the natural environment, and an investigation of the separate and combined effects of two promising medications on cue-elicited urge to drink alcohol, acute alcohol consumption, and the effects of alcohol ingestion. Dr. Miranda is a faculty member of the Center's NIAAA Postdoctoral Fellowship Training Program in Alcohol Intervention and Treatment Outcome Research. He is also a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in the assessment and treatment of adolescent psychopathology.
He received a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Oklahoma State University in 2002 and formally respecialized in biological psychology at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center with an emphasis in psychophysiology and affective neuroscience. He also completed a NIAAA funded T-32 postdoctoral fellowship in alcohol intervention and treatment outcome research at the Center (2002-2003).
Interests
Robert Miranda, Jr., Ph.D., is an assistant professor (Research) in the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior. He received a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Oklahoma State University in 2002 and formally respecialized in biological psychology, with an emphasis in psychophysiology and affective neuroscience, at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. His research centers on adolescent substance misuse and disruptive behavior disorders, and the development of effective pharmacotherapy for alcohol and other substance use disorders. Currently, he is involved in several federally funded projects, including a developmental psychopathology laboratory study of biobehavioral mechanisms relating conduct disorder and drug abuse among adolescents, a randomized controlled trail of motivational interviewing for the treatment of adolescent substance misuse among incarcerated youth, a study of the influence of experimentally induced negative affect on impulsivity and risk-taking among adolescent experimental smokers, and a randomized controlled study of substance abuse among incarcerated teens using individual and group treatment sessions. He also has a career development award (K-23) from National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) to develop expertise in conducting human laboratory and clinical trials research on pharmacotherapy for addictive behavior disorders. With this award he is studying whether a novel medication dose-dependently decreases the probability and intensity of the urge to drink among persons with the disease of alcohol dependence in a laboratory-based cue reactivity assessment, and whether this medication affects the subjective stimulatory and dysphoric effects of alcohol ingestion during an alcohol challenge. He is a co-investigator on several federally funded projects in this area including a placebo-controlled randomized trial of the effects of a novel medication on withdrawal and smoking cue reactivity following tobacco deprivation, a study of the effects of naltrexone on urges to drink, drinking rates, and effects of alcohol among heavy drinkers using palm-top computers in the natural environment, and an investigation of the separate and combined effects of two promising medications on cue-elicited urge to drink alcohol, acute alcohol consumption, and the effects of alcohol ingestion. Robert Miranda is a faculty member of the Brown University NIAAA Postdoctoral Fellowship Training Program in Alcohol Intervention and Treatment Outcome Research and is a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in the assessment and treatment of adolescents with substance use and disruptive behavior disorders.
Degrees
PhD
Awards
1996 Research Achievement Award, Oklahoma Psychological Association and the Oklahoma Psychological Society
1997 Research Achievement Award, Oklahoma Psychological Association and the Oklahoma Psychological Society
1998 Research Excellence Award, Disaster and Trauma Special Interest Group; Association for Advancement of Behavior Therapy (now known as the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies)
2000 Travel Award, Conference on Behavior, Clinical Neuroscience, Substance Abuse, and Culture (Award granted by conference)
2000 Dissertation Research Award, American Psychological Association (APA)
2000 Research Merit Award, Research Society on Alcoholism
2002 Research Excellence Award, Graduate College, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK
2002 - present Loan Repayment Award for Clinical Research, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
2005 Young Investigator Memorial Travel Award, American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP; Award granted by ACNP)
Affiliations
American Psychological Association (APA)
APA Division 12 (Clinical Psychology)
APA Division 50 (Addictions)
Association for Advancement of Behavior Therapy
Research Society on Alcoholism
Sigma Xi, Scientific Research Society, Full Member [Brown University Chapter]
Society for Psychophysiological Research
Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco
Teaching
Not Applicable
Funded Research
COMPLETED GRANT SUPPORT
1. Biopsychology Training in Alcohol Research; National Research Service Award (NRSA) [Institutional; 5T32AA07222]; National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA),
1998 – 2002; $46,206. Predoctoral Research Fellow.
2. Emotion and Behavioral Disinhibition in Alcoholism; NRSA [Individual; F31 AA05559-01], NIAAA
2000 - 2002; $46,670. Principal Investigator (Predoctoral Research Fellow).
3. Alcohol Intervention and Treatment Outcome Research Training; NRSA [Institutional; 5T32 AA07459-11]; NIAAA
2002 - 2003; $50,000. Postdoctoral Research Fellow.
4. Effects of Olanzapine on Cigarette Cue Reactivity and Reinforcement; Department of Veterans Affairs Merit Review Grant
2001 - 2004; $405,000. Project Director (PI: D. Rohsenow).
5. Naltrexone, Craving, and Drinking: Ecological Assessment [2R01 AA07850]; NIAAA
2001 - 2006; $2,655,601. Project Director (2004-2006) and Co-Investigator (PI: P. Monti).
CURRENT GRANT SUPPORT
1. Mechanisms Relating Conduct Disorder and Drug Abuse [R21 DA016904-01]; National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the National Institute on Mental Health (NIMH)
2003 – 2006; $465,500. Principal Investigator.
2. Ondansetron and Naltrexone: Cue Reactivity and Drinking [R01 AA13880]; NIAAA
2003 - 2008; $1,438,450. Co-Investigator (PI: D. Rohsenow).
3. Elucidating Mechanisms of Pharmacotherapy for Alcoholism [1K23 AA014966]; NIAAA
2004 –2009; $688,602. Principal Investigator.
4. Effect of Mood on Impulsivity among Adolescent Smokers [R21 DA018942]; NIDA
2004 - 2006; $275,000. Co-Investigator (PI: C. Gwaltney)
5. Motivation and Skills for THC/ETOH+ Jailed Teens [R01 DA018851]; NIDA
2004 -2009; $3,734,918. Co-Investigator (PI: L. Stein)
6. Baclofen Effects on Smoking Urge, Withdrawal, and Preference [VA Merit Review Grant]; Department of Veterans Affairs
2006 - 2009; $150,000. Co-Investigator (PI: D. Rohsenow).
7. Biobehavioral Mechanisms of Topiramate and Drinking; NIAAA
2006 - 2010; $3,076,890. Project Director, Co-Investigator, (PI: P. Monti)
Curriculum Vitae
Download Robert Miranda Jr.'s Curriculum Vitae in PDF Format
