Education
B.S. in Psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University, 2014

M.S. in Addiction Studies from Virginia Commonwealth University, Kings College London, and University of Adelaide, 2016

M.S. in Psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University, 2020

Research Interests

Keywords: Behavior genetics, Cannabis, Longitudinal models

My research interests lie at the intersection of behavior genetics, substance use, and developmental psychology. I am primarily interested in genetic and environmental influences on substance use throughout development and the statistical methods used to study these associations. Currently, my work focuses on developmental considerations in genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and approaches to gene-identification with longitudinal phenotypes. I hope to eventually work as a data analyst in the field of public health, applying quantitative methods to the study of population-level patterns of substance use.

Selected Publications

Thomas, N.S., Adkins, A.E., Aliev, F., Edwards, A.C., Webb, B.T., Kendler, K.S., Dick, D.M., Chartier, K.G. (2018). Alcohol Metabolizing Polygenic Risk for Alcohol Consumption in European American College Students. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 79(4), 627-634.

Thomas, N.S., Salvatore, J.E., Gillespie, N.A., Aliev, F.A., Ksinan, A.J., Spit for Science Working Group, Dick, D.M. (2021). Cannabis Use in College: Genetic Predispositions, Peers, and Activity Participation. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 219, 108489.

Thomas, N.S., Barr, P., Hottell, D.L., Adkins, A., Dick, D.M. (2021). Longitudinal Influence of Behavioral Health, Emotional Health, and Student Involvement on College Student Retention. Journal of College Student Development, 62(1), 2-18.