William V. Lechner

Graduate Areas: Clinical

• Adult Substance Use Disorders

• Adult Psychopathology

Does Dr. Lechner plan to recruit a doctoral student for the next incoming class?

Research Interests

My program of research aims to translate findings from human laboratory studies to the development of novel, innovative, and efficacious therapeutic interventions for Substance Use Disorders. Specifically, my interests include two distinct but interrelated lines of research: (1) the influence of executive function deficits on addictive behaviors and emerging therapeutic modalities that target these deficits and (2) the bi-directional relationship between psychopathology and addiction. I am Principal Investigator of a National Institutes of Health sponsored clinical trial studying the ability of cognitive training combined with neuromodulation of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex to improve executive function deficits as they relate to addictive behaviors.  You can read more about my ongoing clinical trial and find a link to a list of my published research below:

Courses Taught

• Drugs and Behavior
• Introduction to Psychological Assessment
• Advanced Psychological Assessment 

Publications:

Lechner, W. V., Sidhu, N. K., Kittaneh, A. A., & Anand, A. (2019). Interventions with potential to target executive function deficits in addiction: current state of the literature. Curr Opin Psychol, 30, 24-28. doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2019.01.017

Lechner, W. V., Sidhu, N. K., Cioe, P. A., & Kahler, C. W. (2019). Effects of time-varying changes in tobacco and alcohol use on depressive symptoms following pharmaco-behavioral treatment for smoking and heavy drinking. Drug Alcohol Depend, 194, 173-177. doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2018.09.030

Heggeness, L. F., Lechner, W. V., & Ciesla, J. A. (2019). Coping via substance use, internal attribution bias, and their depressive interplay: Findings from a three-week daily diary study using a clinical sample. Addict Behav, 89, 70-77. doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2018.09.019

Lechner, W.V., Gunn, R.L., Minto, A., Philip, N.S., Brown, R.A., Uebelacker, L.A., Price, L.H., Abrantes, A.M. (2018). Effects of Negative Affect, Urge to Smoke, and Working Memory Performance (n-back) on Nicotine Dependence. Substance Use and Misuse.

Lechner, W. V., Murphy, C. M., Colby, S. M., Janssen, T., Rogers, M. L., & Jackson, K. M. (2018). Cognitive risk factors of electronic and combustible cigarette use in adolescents. Addict Behav, 82, 182-188. doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2018.03.006

Kahler, C.W., Lechner, W.V., MacGlashan, J., Wray, T.B., & Littman, M.L. (2017). Initial progress towards development of a voice-based computer delivered motivational intervention for heavy drinking college students: An experimental study. JMIR Mental Health, 28;4(2): e25. 

Lechner, W.V., Janssen, T., Kahler, C.W., Audrain-McGovern, J., Leventhal, A.M. (2017). Bi-directional Associations of Electronic and Combustible Cigarette Use Onset Patterns with Depressive Symptoms in Adolescents. Preventive Medicine, 96:73-78.

Lechner, W. V. Day, A.M., Leventhal, A.M., Metrik, J., Kahler, C.W. (2016). Effects of alcohol-induced working memory decline on alcohol consumption and adverse consequences of use. Psychopharmacology, 233(1), 83-88.

Lechner, W. V., Knopik, V. S., McGeary, J. E., Spillane, N. S., Tidey, J. W., McKee, S. A., Kahler, C. W. (2016). Influence of the A118G Polymorphism of the OPRM1 Gene and Exon 3 VNTR Polymorphism of the DRD4 Gene on Cigarette Craving After Alcohol Administration. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 18(5), 632-636.

Lechner, W. V., Meier, E., Wiener, J. L., Grant, D. M., Gilmore, J., Judah, M. R., Wagener, T. L. (2015). The comparative efficacy of first- versus second-generation electronic cigarettes in reducing symptoms of nicotine withdrawal. Addiction, 110(5), 862-867.

Lechner, W.V., Shadur, J.M., Banducci, A., Grant, D.M., Morse, M., Lejuez, C.W (2014). The mediating role of depression in the relationship between anxiety sensitivity and alcohol dependence. Addictive Behaviors, 39(8), 1243-1248.

Judah, M. R., Grant, D. M., Lechner, W. V., Mills, A. C. (2013). Working memory load moderates late attentional bias in social anxiety. Cognition and Emotion, 27, 502 – 511.

Lechner, W.V., Lejuez, C.W., Chen, K.W., Dahne, J., Pickover, A. (2013). The prevalence of Substance Use Disorders and Psychiatric Disorders as a function of Psychotic Symptoms. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 131(1-2), 78 – 84.

Lechner, W. V., Grant, D. M., Meier, E., Mills, A. C., Judah, M. R., & Dempsey, J. P. (2014). The influence of stress on the affective modulation of the startle response to nicotine cues. Journal of Applied Psychophysiology & Biofeedback, 39(3-4), 279-285.

Lechner, W. V., Tackett, A. P., Grant, D. M., Tahirkheli, N. N., Driskill, L. M., & Wagener, T. L. (2015). Effects of duration of electronic cigarette use. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 17(2), 180-185.

Lechner, W.V., Meier, E., Miller, M.B., Wiener, J.L., Fils-Aime, Y. (2012). Changes in smoking related behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs over four years following a campus wide anti-tobacco intervention.  Journal of American College Health, 7(6): 612-619.