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Felicia Tuchman

Prospective PhD student in Clinical Psychology, University of New Mexico
Chapter Member: New Mexico SSN
Areas of Expertise:

About Felicia

Tuchman graduated magna cum laude from Northwestern University in 2022 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology and a minor in data science. In 2024, she graduated from the University of New Mexico with a Master of Science degree in clinical psychology. Broadly, Tuchman is interested in bolstering access to, engagement in, and the effectiveness of substance use disorder treatment (especially those that leverage harm reduction techniques and are inclusive of non-abstinent goals) through research that leverages community-engaged research, implementation science, ambulatory methods, advanced quantitative techniques, and mixed methods to examine the intersecting individual, interpersonal, and environmental factors in substance use disorder maintenance and recovery. She is particularly interested in alcohol and cannabis use disorders and in studying populations that have been historically excluded in science and marginalized in society to examine the impacts of intersectional stigma and oppression. Tuchman is also passionate about rigorous measurement and advancing nosology through the development of dimensional frameworks (e.g., the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology).

In the News

Quoted by New Mexico Sun in "UNM Researchers Explore New Approaches to Cocaine Addiction Recovery," New Mexico Sun, May 23, 2024.
Quoted by Savannah Peat in "UNM Research Team Aids in Cocaine Use Recovery," UNM Newsroom, May 23, 2024.
Opinion: "Beyond Abstinence: Can Reducing Drinking Reduce Alcohol Craving?," Felicia Tuchman (with Katie Witkiewitz), Institute of Alcohol Studies Blog, February 6, 2024.

Publications

"Examining Cocaine Use Reductions and Long-Term Outcomes in Two Clinical Trials of Continuing Care for Cocaine Dependence" (with Victoria R. Votaw, Corey R. Roos, Hanna M. Hebden, James R. McKay, Brian D. Kiluk, and Katie Witkiewitz). Journal of Substance Use and Addiction Treatment 163 (2024).

Evaluates whether reductions in cocaine use—short of complete abstinence—can serve as meaningful treatment outcomes for cocaine use disorder (CUD). Findings show that individuals who reduced their cocaine use by at least one frequency level (e.g., from high- to low-frequency or to abstinence) showed significantly lower drug-related consequences and better long-term outcomes up to two years later.

"Designing and Testing Treatments for Alcohol Use Disorder" (with Katie Witkiewitz). International Review of Neurobiology 175 (2024): 277-312.

Provides a succinct overview of several recommendations for the design and analysis of treatments for AUD with a specific focus on increasing rigor and generalizability of treatment studies in order to increase the reach of AUD treatment.

"Reductions in WHO Risk Drinking Levels Correlate with Alcohol Craving among Individuals with Alcohol Use Disorder" (with Kevin A. Hallgren, Dylan K. Richards, Arnie Aldridge, Raymond F. Anton, Henri-Jean Aubin, Henry R. Kranzler, Karl Mann, Stephanie S. O'Malley, and Katie Witkiewitz). Alcohol: Clinical & Experimental Research 48, no. 2 (2024): 420-429.

Examines whether reductions in alcohol consumption during treatment for alcohol use disorder (AUD) are associated with decreased alcohol craving. Finds that individuals who reduced their drinking by at least one or two World Health Organization (WHO) risk levels reported significantly lower craving at the end of treatment.

"Examining Associations Between Negative Affect and Substance Use in Treatment-Seeking Samples: a Review of Studies Using Intensive Longitudinal Methods" (with Victoria R. Votaw, Marilyn L. Piccirillo, and Frank J. Schwebel & Katie Witkiewitz ). Current Addiction Reports 9 (2022): 445–472.

Examines recent research on how negative affect (e.g., stress, sadness) relates to craving and substance use outcomes during and after treatment for substance use disorders (SUD).