Wachholtz Lab Members
Lab Director
Dr. Amy Wachholtz graduated with a Master of Divinity degree from Boston University and a specialized graduate degree in Bioethics from a joint Harvard University and Boston University program. She the continued her education to earn her MA and PhD in Clinical Psychology from Bowling Green State University where she had a dual specialization in Behavioral Medicine and Psychology of Religion. She completed her internship through fellowship training at Duke University where she focused on medical psychology and pain management. She also recently completed a post-doctoral Master’s degree in Psychopharmacology.
Her research and clinical interests focus on 1) the bio-psycho-social-spiritual model for chronic pain disorders and palliative care, and 2) the complexities of treating of co-morbid pain and opioid addiction in both acute pain and chronic pain situations. Her research encompasses bench to bedside methodology from psycho-physiological research methods to testing improved patient treatments and has resulted in over 100 publications and presentations. She enjoys teaching students of all levels both in the classroom at the University of Colorado Denver and in laboratory settings.
Graduate Students
Dustin Goerlitz graduated from the University of California Santa Cruz in 2013 with a BA in Psychology. His research interests are in positive psychology and complementary and integrative medicine (CIM) for chronic pain and pain management, as well as biopsychosocial factors for quality of life in chronic pain populations. He enjoys numerous outdoor activities, playing music, spending time with friends, puns, and is apparently a big fan of tea. dustin.goerlitz@ucdenver.edu Cohort: Year 6
Dallas Robinson graduated from Missouri State University with a BA in psychology in 2017, and a MS in Clinical Psychology in 2019. Her interests include the role of stress in chronic pain and substance use disorders, as well as research using psycho-physiological measures. In her free time she enjoys rock climbing, kayaking, and dancing. Cohort: Year 5
Sarah Wilson graduated from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2016 with a BA in Psychology and from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2019 with a MS in Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling. Her research interests include biopsychosocial factors affecting opioid misuse in people with chronic pain and interventions for comorbid chronic pain and opioid use disorder. In her spare time, she enjoys outdoor activities with her two Siberian Huskies and spending time with friends. Cohort: Year 5
Daniel Luedtke graduated from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities in 2017 with BAs in Psychology and French. He is interested in studying the relationship between chronic pain, stress, and trauma as well as social and cultural means of resilience. In his free time he enjoys watching movies, drawing, and listening to music. Daniel.luedtke@ucdenver.edu
Cohort: Year 4
Alex Otto graduated from University of Alabama Birmingham in 2018 with a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences and a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish. Her research interests include behavioral interventions and ethnic disparities in comorbid chronic pain and opioid use disorder. She enjoys reading, baking, and anything outdoors, namely skiing and hiking. Alexandra.Otto@ucdenver.edu
Cohort: Year 3
Maya Joshi Delity graduated from Boston University in 2021 with a BA in Psychology. Maya then completed a two-year fellowship at the NIH. Her research interests include developing novel treatments for chronic pain and opioid use disorder. She is also interested in identifying and reducing ethnic health disparities in chronic pain.
I-STOP Study Collaborators
Nora L. Nock, PhD, PE is a Co-Principal Investigator with I-STOP and Associate Professor at Case Western Reserve University
Harlan Austin, PhD is the Director of Clinical Operations at CeDAR. In his role as director, he coordinates and oversees the clinical, training, education, and research endeavors of CeDAR. Dr. Austin received his Master of Arts in counseling from New Mexico State University and his Doctorate of Philosophy in counseling psychology at the University of North Texas. He has specialty training and certifications in addiction, sport and performance psychology, and psychological assessment.
Christian Hopfer, MD. Dr. Hopfer is Professor of psychiatry in the Division of Substance Dependence at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Before coming to CeDAR he served as the Director of Adult Psychiatric Services at the Addiction Research and Treatment Services for 15 years. Dr. Hopfer is a distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, member of the College on Problems of Drug Dependence, and past president of the Colorado Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Society. He has authored over 95 scientific publications on substance dependence and has been the principal investigator on multiple studies funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Lee Hoffer, PhD, MPE is a Co-Investigator with I-STOP and Associate Professor at Wayne State University
Samiran Ghosh, PhD is a Co-Investigator with I-STOP and Associate Professor at Wayne State University
Jay Alberts, PhD is a Co-Investigator with I-STOP and Vice Chair at Health Enabling Tech. Office Cleveland Clinic
STOP Study Collaborators
Elizabeth Epstein, PhD (STOP Study Co-Investigator) is a Professor of Psychiatry at University of Massachusetts Medical School. She has extensive NIH-funded experience developing and testing CBT treatments for alcohol and drug disorders in a variety of modality and for specific subpopulations (see above, Preliminary Studies). She has also studied heterogeneity among substance abusers in terms of comorbid disorders and has developed integrated therapies for depression and anxiety among alcohol dependent women.
Alexis Carrington-Ford, MD (STOP Study Medical Safety Officer) is a Board Certified Addiction Psychiatrist at the University of Colorado Hospital, CeDAR (Center for Dependency, Addiction, and Rehabilitation). She is also an ABPM Diplomate.
Previous Lab Members
Caitlin Kienzler
Kelsey Nogg
Susanne Withrow
Joe McNabb
Paige Barrette
Alexandra Dolezal
Danny Hernandez Altamirano
Jamie Woelk
Amy Frers
Cameron Battersby
Madisen Frederick
Amanda Hong
Ryan Radosevich
Bethany Hawley