Hugh Roy and Lillie Cranz Cullen Distinguished University Professor
Director of the RESTORE Laboratory: Research on Emotion, Substance Use Treatment Outcomes, Rehabilitation, and Empowerment
Clinical Psychology
Ph.D., West Virginia University

Heyne Building, Room 230
713-743-8595
mjzvolen@central.uh.edu

Dr. Zvolensky will be reviewing graduate student applications for the 2025-2026 academic year. Application deadline is Dec 1, 2024. Please see Student Admissions, Outcomes, and Other Data for details. 

Biographical Summary

Dr. Zvolensky is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Psychology at University of Houston and Director of the Research on Emotion, Substance Use Treatment Outcomes, Rehabilitation, & Empowerment (RESTORE) Laboratory and Substance Use Treatment Clinic. He has published over 1000 peer-reviewed articles and books/book chapters on the co-occurrence of anxiety and stress-related psychopathology with substance use disorders, health behavior problems, and physical illness (e.g., chronic pain). He has been involved in over 70 NIH grants as PI, Co-PI, or co-investigator. His research program has received awards from numerous organizations, including the American Psychological Association, Anxiety and Depression Association of America, College on Problems of Drug Dependence, Association for Advancement of Cognitive and Behavior Therapy, and Association of Academic Health Centers.

Research Interests

• Comorbidity of emotional disorders (anxiety, stress, depressive disorders) with substance use disorders
• Transdiagnostic processes underlying emotional disorder-substance use disorder comorbidity
• Mediating and moderating factors involved in the expression, onset, and maintenance of anxiety/depression psychopathology
• Theoretically driven and process-based treatment development work that is community friendly

Teaching Interest

• Third Wave Behavior Therapy
• Professional Development
• Research Methodology

Selected Publications

Zvolensky, M. J., Brown, R. A., Shepherd, J. M., Brown, J. T., Redmond, B. Y., & Alcocer, S. (in press). Impacto --- A single-arm open-label pilot trial of a digital-based integrated smoking cessation program for Spanish-speaking Hispanic individuals who smoke: Development, feasibility, engagement, and clinical outcomes. Journal of Substance Use and Addiction Treatment.

Zvolensky, M. J., Smit, T., Dragoi, I., Tamminana, R., Bakhshaie, J., Ditre, J. W., Redmond, Y., & Lackner, J. (in press). Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and smoking: An evaluation of IBS symptom severity and anxiety sensitivity among adults in the United States. Addictive Behaviors. 

Zvolensky, M. J., Bakhshaie, J., Redmond, B. Y., Garey, L., de Dios, M., Cano, M. A., & Schmidt, N. B. (in press). Anxiety sensitivity reduction-smoking cessation intervention among individuals who engage in dual cigarette and cannabis use: A secondary analysis. Journal of Substance Use and Addiction Treatment. 

Zvolensky, M. J., Shepherd, J. M., Clausen, B. K., Garey, L., Kauffman, B. Y., Heggeness, L. F., Viana, A. G., & Bizier, A. (2024). Anxiety symptoms and anxiety sensitivity in relation to cigarette dependence, perceived barriers for smoking cessation and quit problems among adult Latinx smokers. Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse, 23, 926-946. 

Zvolensky, M. J., Kauffman, B. Y., Smit, T., Matoska, C. T., Mayorga, N. A., Gallagher, M., & Garey, L. (2024). Anxiety sensitivity and its association with perceived barriers for quitting, smoking inflexibility, and severity of quit problems among Black smokers. Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse, 23, 788-805. 

Zvolensky, M. J., Kauffman, B. Y., Garey, L., Viana, A. G., & Matoska, C. T. (2022).  Interoceptive anxiety-related processes: Importance for understanding COVID-19 and future pandemic mental health and addictive behaviors and their comorbidity. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 156, 104141. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2022.104141 

Leventhal, A. M., & Zvolensky, M. J. (2015). Anxiety, depression, and cigarette smoking: A transdiagnostic vulnerability framework to understanding emotion-smoking comorbidity. Psychological Bulletin, 141, 176-212.