PATHS: Positive Approaches to Health Disparities and Substance Use Lab (Spillane)

Keywords

Culturally grounded substance use interventions, health disparities in Indigenous populations, positive psychology approaches to addiction, community-based participatory research, alternative reinforcers and harm reduction

Lab Area

Clinical Psychology

Actively Recruiting Undergraduate Researchers

Yes

The PATHS Lab, led by Dr. Nichea Spillane, conducts innovative, community-centered research aimed at reducing health disparities related to substance use, with a strong focus on underserved and Indigenous populations in North America. The lab’s work is grounded in the belief that effective prevention and intervention efforts must be culturally relevant, strengths-based, and developed in collaboration with the communities they are intended to serve.

Researchers in the lab use a range of methodologies — including mixed methods, community-based participatory research (CBPR) and randomized controlled trials — to better understand risk and protective factors associated with substance use and to design, adapt and evaluate interventions that promote health and well-being. Projects often explore the role of cultural identity, alternative reinforcers and positive psychological processes (such as gratitude, savoring and values-based behavior) in preventing or reducing substance use.

Current research includes:

Developing culturally grounded interventions for North American Indigenous communities
Evaluating alternative, non-substance-related activities that serve as protective factors
Applying principles of positive psychology to addiction and recovery
Partnering with community organizations and tribal health programs to ensure research is ethical, respectful and actionable

The PATHS Lab welcomes students and collaborators who are committed to community wellness, health equity and scientific rigor.