Melissa Blank, Ph.D.

Addiction, Relapse, Rural Health

Click here to visit Dr. Blank's Research Page.

About

Dr. Blank received her Ph.D. degree in psychology in 2007 from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), after which she served as a visiting assistant professor at VCU for four years, and as a postdoctoral fellow at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida, for one year. She joined the WVU faculty in July 2012 as an assistant professor. 

Degrees

• BS (Univ of MD, Baltimore County 1999)
• MS (VA Commonwealth Univ, 2004)
• PhD (VA Commonwealth Univ, 2007)

Research Interests

Dr. Blank’s research aims to inform the regulation of nicotine/tobacco products. Much of this work addresses the abuse liability of products like electronic cigarettes/vapes, cigarillos, and oral nicotine pouches. She also uses secondary data to examine predictors of tobacco use patterns among disadvantaged populations, specifically youth and young adults as well as rural communities. Most recently, her work focused on vaping has expanded to include cannabis vape products.

Teaching Interests

Research Methods and Statistics; Biological Basis of Behavior; Clinical Psychopharmacology

Courses

• Psychology 426 – Physiological Psychology
  
• Psychology 722 – Biological Aspects of Behavior