Lab Director:

Dr. Meagan J Brem (she/her/hers) is an Assistant Professor in the Clinical Science program within Department of Psychology at Virginia Tech. She completed her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at the University of Tennessee in 2021 after completing an APA-accredited pre-doctoral internship at the Charleston Consortium/Medical University of South Carolina (Substance Abuse Track). Dr. Brem's research investigates the intersection of alcohol use and intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration. To date, her research has focused on mechanistic testing of distal and proximal moderators of the association between alcohol use and IPV, broadening the definition and reach of alcohol-related IPV theories, testing brief, laboratory-based interventions for aggression, examining IPV correlates among various populations (e.g., college students, adolescents, adults arrested for domestic violence, adults with substance use disorders, community couples), and expanding ecological momentary assessment approaches within the field. Her research has been externally funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) of the National Institutes of Health, and the American Psychological Foundation.

When she is not in the lab, Dr. Brem might be found going for a run, hiking through one of the local trails with her family, or exploring a new restaurant.

Graduate Students:

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Allison Tobar (she/her), M.S.
Graduate Student, Department of Psychology

Prior to joining the REACH Lab, Allison received a B.A. in Criminology and Criminal Justice and a B.S. in Psychology at the University of Rhode Island. In undergrad, she was in various research labs exploring substance use, health disparities, and intimate partner violence on a NIDA K23 grant. After undergrad, she spent two years as a research assistant on a PCORI-funded comparative effectiveness study examining different models of care for pregnant women with opioid use disorder. Additionally, she studied how COVID-19 impacted recovery and prenatal care for mothers with substance use disorders. Allison’s research interests include sexual assault and risky behaviors with an emphasis on substance use while using mixed methods and a community-focused approach. She also has a particular interest in underrepresented populations within these topics.

E-mail: atobar@vt.edu

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Marisa Alkalay (she/her), B.A.

Graduate Student, Department of Psychology

Prior to joining the REACH Lab, Marisa received a B.A in Psychology from Bucknell University. During her time as an undergraduate, she was involved in the Campus Sexual Assault Research Lab and helped to create and distribute the annual Campus Climate Survey. She successfully defended her Honors Thesis, which was a mixed methods study examining the effects of gender and Greek life on rape myth acceptance among college students. She spent the last two years as a research technician at the National Center for PTSD at the VA Boston Healthcare System. Marisa was mainly involved in the civilian implementation of a group intervention program for those who use violence in their relationships, as well as a randomized controlled trial investigating the efficacy of a brief motivational enhancement therapy alcohol intervention for veterans prior to the group intervention program. Marisa's research interests include campus sexual assault, rape myth acceptance and intimate partner violence. Overall, she is passionate about using mixed methods to explore the ecological factors associated with an increased risk for violence perpetration, primarily among college students, young adults and underrepresented populations.

Email: marisaalkalay@vt.edu