HEATHER BRISTER, Ph.D.

Heather Brister graduated from the University of Washington in 2004 with her Bachelor’s degree in psychology. While at the University of Washington, she worked with William George, Ph.D., studying the effects of perceived intoxication on likelihood sexual assault within different ethnic backgrounds. She also worked with Sherri Mizumori, Ph.D., studying event-level neural activity involved in navigation and learning.

While finishing her final year as an undergraduate, Heather worked as a project coordinator with Judith Turner, Ph.D. studying the efficacy of cognitive-behavior therapy in individuals with chronic jaw pain.

Heather started at the University of Texas at Austin and joined the SAHARA lab in August of 2004. Once joining the lab, she began studying individual differences in perceived taste perceptions as both a positive reinforcer and a potential risk factor for future alcohol-related problems. She then studied individual differences in subjective intoxication as potential risk factors for current and future alcohol-related problems.

Heather worked as a Psychology intern at Raleigh Durham VA Medical Center in North Carolina. She received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology in 2012. She is currently a Psychology Postdoctoral Fellow in PTSD and Substance Use Disorders at the Southern Arizona VA Healthcare System in Tucson, Arizona, where she just implemented Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Substance Use Disorders.