Dr. Zaso’s research focuses on sources of vulnerability and resiliency to alcohol-promoting environments. Her current projects work to identify cognitive processes occurring in real-time during instances of stress and trauma-related drinking. Dr. Zaso’s research program utilizes a variety of methodologies, including ecological momentary assessment, intensive longitudinal data analysis, experimental laboratory paradigms, and other mixed methods approaches to better understand the origins of alcohol-related behaviors.

NIH/NIAAA K99/R00AA029728 (PI: Zaso). “Identification and characterization of in-the-moment cognitive antecedents to alcohol use among drinkers with PTSD.” This research aims to identify affectively linked cognitions that lead to problem drinking in-the-moment as drinkers experience PTSD symptoms in their real-world settings.

For a complete list of publications, see https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/1nCRloz51_D5L/bibliography/public/

Zaso, M. J., Read, J. P., & Colder, C. R. (2023). Coping-motivated escalations in adolescent alcohol problems following early adversity. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 37(2), 331-340. Doi: 10.1037/adb0000788 PMID: 34618492

Zaso, M. J., & Read, J. P. (2020). Drinking motives as moderators of in-the-moment drinking risks in response to trauma-related distress. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 44(12), 2561-2569. Doi: 10.1111/acer.14487 PMID: 33084082

Zaso, M. J., Maisto, S. A., Glatt, S. J., Hess, J. L., & Park, A. (2020). Effects of polygenic risk and perceived friends’ drinking and disruptive behavior on development of alcohol use across adolescence. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 81(6), 808-815. Doi: 10.15288/jsad.2020.81.808 PMID: 33308411

Desalu, J. M., Kim, J., Zaso, M. J., Corriders, S. R., Loury, J. A., Minter, M. L., & Park, A. (2019). Racial discrimination, binge drinking, and negative drinking consequences among black college students: Serial mediation by depressive symptoms and coping motives. Ethnicity & Health, 24(8), 874-888. Doi: 10.1080/13557858.2017.1380170 PMID: 28931304

Zaso, M. J., Maisto, S. A., Glatt, S. J., Belote, J. M., & Park, A. (2017). Interaction between the μ‐opioid receptor gene and the number of heavy‐drinking peers on alcohol use. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 41(12), 2041-2050. Doi: 10.1111/acer.13523 PMID: 28992386

Park, A., Kim, J., Zaso, M. J., Glatt, S. J., Sher, K. J., Scott-Sheldon, L. A. J., Eckert, T. L., Vanable, P. A., Carey, K. B., Ewart, C. K., & Carey, M. P. (2017). The interaction between the dopamine receptor D4 (DRD4) variable number tandem repeat polymorphism and perceived peer drinking norms in adolescent alcohol use and misuse. Development and Psychopathology, 29(1), 173-183. Doi: 10.1017/S0954579416000080 PMID: 26902782

Zaso, M. J., Park, A., Kim, J., Gellis, L. A., Kwon, H., & Maisto, S. A. (2016). The associations among prior drinking consequences, subjective evaluations, and subsequent alcohol outcomes. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 30(3), 367-376. Doi: 10.1037/adb0000166 PMID: 27214171