I received an M.A. degree in mathematical statistics (1985) and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees (1982 and 1990) in applied statistics. Following a staff position at the University of Pittsburgh Medical School, I was appointed to the faculty in 1995 as Assistant Professor. I was promoted to Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Psychiatry in 2003 and Professor in 2010. I have been Co-Principal Investigator and Director of the Methodology and Statistics Core of the NIDA-funded Center for Education and Drug Abuse Research since 1995.
My primary expertise and research focus are devising and evaluating psychometric tools. With support from Independent Scientist Award since 2005, I have spearheaded development of an interval scale to measure the psychological components of SUD liability common across the DSM-IV categories. Employing item response theory, in conjunction with longitudinal multivariate modeling, a scale termed the liability index has been provisionally validated to quantify SUD risk at ages 10-12, 12-14, 16 and 19 in boys and age 10-12 in girls. This research will be extended in the forthcoming period of the K02 to encompass the period of risk up to age 30 in males and age 28 in females.
Notably, my work in instrument development has been integrated into investigations of SUD etiology, including measurement of social cognition, decision making and biological mechanisms. In this facet of my research, I have focused on a cardinal component of the SUD liability phenotype, termed neurobehavior disinhibition. This research has been informative for elucidating the neurological, endocrinoIogical, and social contextual aspects of SUD etiology as well as longitudinally distinct trajectories to SUD. I have also conceptualized and empirically validated a novel framework for measuring substance use topology during adolescence and proposed a model of symptom definitions for adolescent SUD.
Publications
Most recent publications.
Erkiran, M., Ozonalan, H., Euren, C., Aytaclar, S., Kirisci, L., & Tarter, R. (2006). Substance abuse amplifies the risk for violence in schizophrenia spectrum disorder. Addictive Behaviors, 31, 1797-1805 (corresponding author).
Tarter, R., Kirisci, L., Ridenour, T., & Vanyukov, M. (2008). Prediction of cannabis use disorder between childhood and young adulthood using the Child Behavior Checklist. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 30, 272-278.
Mezzich, A., Tarter, R., Kirisci, L., Feske, U., Day, B.S., Gao, Z. (2007). Reciprocal influence of parent discipline and child’s behavior on risk for substance use disorder: a nine-year prospective study. American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse. 33(6), 851-867.
Cornelius, J.R., Reynolds, M., Martz, B., Clark, D., Kirisci, L., & Tarter, R. (2008). Premature mortality among males with substance use disorders. Addictive Behaviors, 33, 156-160.
Tarter, R., Kirisci, L., Kirillova, G., Gavaler, J., Giancola, P., & Vanyukov, M. (2007). Social dominance mediates the association of testosterone and neurobehavioral disinhibition with risk for substance use disorder. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 21, 462-468.
Feske, U., Tarter, R.E., Kirisci, L., Gao, Z., Reynolds, M., & Vanyukov, M. (2008). Peer Environment Mediates Parental History and Individual Risk in the Etiology of Cannabis Use Disorder in Boys: A 10-Year Prospective Study. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 34, 307-320.
Kirillova, G., Vanyukov, M., Kirisci, L., & Reynolds, M. (2008). Physical maturation, peer environment, and the ontogenesis of substance use disorders. Psychiatric Research, 158, 43-53.
Clark, D., Kirisci, L., Mezzich, A., Chung, T. (2008). Parental supervision and alcohol use in adolescence: Developmentally specific interactions. Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, 29, 285-292.
Cornelius, J.R., Kirisci, L., Reynolds, M., Homish, G., & Clark, D. (2008). Husbands’ SUD is associated with higher levels of co-occurring but not non-occurring psychiatric disorders among wives. Addictive Behaviors, 33, 1231-1234.
Kirisci, L., Tarter, R., Mezzich, A., & Reynolds, M. (2008). Screening current and future diagnosis of psychiatric disorder using the revised Drug Use Screening Inventory. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 34, 653-665.
Kirisci, L., Mezzich, A., Ridenour, T., Reynolds, M., Tarter, R., & Vanyukov, M. (2009). Prediction of cannabis use disorder between boyhood and young adulthood clarifying the phenotype and environtype. The American Journal on Addictions, 18, 36-47.
Cisneros, G., Douaihy, A., & Kirisci, L. (2009). Access to healthcare among injection drug users at a needle exchange program in Pittsburgh, PA. Journal on Addiction Medicine, 3, 89-94.
Kirisci, L., Tarter, R., & Reynolds, M. (2009). The violence proneness scale of the DUSI-R predicts adverse outcomes associated with substance abuse. The American Journal on Addictions, 18, 173-177.
Pringle, J., Weber, R., Rice, K., Kirisci, L., & Sirio, C. (2009). Examination of how a survey can spur culture changes using a quality improvement approach: Region-wide approach to determining patient safety culture. American Journal of Medical Quality, 24, 374-384.
Kirisci, L., Mezzich, A., Aytaclar, S., Reynolds, M., & Tarter, R. (2009). Prospective study of the association between neurobehavior disinhibition and peer environment on illegal drug use in boys and girls. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 35, 145-150.
Tarter, R.E., Kirisci, L., Gavaler, J.S., Reynolds, M., Kirillova, G., Clark, D.B., Wu, J., Moss, H.B., & Vanyukov, M. (2009). Prospective study of the association between abandoned dwellings and testosterone level on the development of behaviors leading to cannabis use disorder in boys. Biological Psychiatry, 65, 116-121.
Ridenour, T., Tarter, R., Reynolds, M., Mezzich, A., Kirisci, L., & Vanyukov, M. (2009). Neurobehavior disinhibition, parental substance use disorder, neighborhood quality and development of cannabis use disorder in boys. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 102, 71-77.
Vanyukov, M., Kirisci, L., Moss, L., Tarter, R., Reynolds, M., Maher, B., Kirillova, GP, Ridenour, T., & Clark, DB. (2009). Measurement of the risk for substance use disorders: phenotypic and genetic analysis of an index of common liability. Behavior Genetics, 39, 233-244.
Cornelius, JR., Bukstein, OG, Wood, DS, Kirisci, L., Douaihy, A., & Clark, DB. (2009). Double-blind placebo-controlled trial of fluoxetine in adolescents with comorbid major depression and an alcohol use disorder. Addictive Behaviors, 34, 905-909.
Tarter, B., Kirisci, L. , Tarter, R., Weatherbee, S., Jamnik, V., McGuire, EJ, Gledhill, N. (2009). Use of aggregate fitness indicators to predict transition into NHL. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 23, 1828-1832.
Tarter, B., Kirisci, L., Tarter, R., Jamnik, V., Gledhill, N., & McGuire, E.J. (2009). The general manager’s toolbox: A model for predicting successful NHL players. International Journal of Sport Management, 10,1-9.
Cornelius, J., Kirisci, L., Reynolds, M., Clark, D., Hayes, J., & Tarter, R. (2010). PTSD contributes to teen and young adult cannabis use disorders. Addictive Behaviors, 35, 91-94.
Tarter, B., Kirisci, L., Tarter, R., Jamnik, V., Gledhill, N., & McGuire, E.J. (2009). Use of the Sports Performance Index for Hockey (SPI-H) to Predict NHL player Value. International Journal of Performance Analysis of Sport, 9, 238-244.
Presentations
List of Presentations in 2009 and 2010
Gill, S., Kirisci, L., & Verrico, P. Identification of Risk Factors for Adverse Drug Events (ADEs) in Critically Ill Patients. Paper presented at SCCM's 38th Critical Care Congress, Nashville, TN, January 31-February 4, 2009.
Kirisci, L., Tarter, R., Mezzich, A., Reynolds, M., & Vanyukov, M. Individual variations in liability for SUD predict SUD in young adulthood: A prospective study. Paper presented at the annual meeting of Society of Prevention Research at Washington, D.C., May 26-29, 2009.
Ridenour, T., Tarter, R., Vanyukov, M., & Kirisci, L. Do neighborhood risks help explain the association between heritable risk and substance abuse? How about vice versa? Paper presented at the annual meeting of Society of Prevention Research at Washington, D.C., May 26-29, 2009.
Reynolds, M., Talameh, J., Kirisci, L., & Tarter, R. Childhood stress contributes to the liability to develop substance use disorder in adulthood. Paper presented at the annual meeting of Society of Prevention Research at Washington, D.C., May 26-29, 2009.
Kirisci, L., Cornelius, J., Reynolds, M., & Tarter, R. PTSD contributes to teen cannabis use disorders. Paper presented at the annual meeting of Society of Prevention Research at Washington, D.C., May 26-29, 2009.
Mezzich, A., Kirisci, L., & Tarter, R. Association of a transmissible liability index, parental discipline and peer deviancy with illegal drug involvement in boys and girls from childhood to adolescence. Paper presented at the annual meeting of Society of Prevention Research at Washington, D.C., May 26-29, 2009.
Salloum, I.M., Douaihy, A.B., Daley, D.C., Kelly, T.M., Cornelius, J.R., Kirisci, L. Integrated individual therapy for bipolar disorder and alcoholism: Results from a randomized pilot study. Paper presented at the Eight International Conference on Bipolar Disorder at Pittsburgh, June 25-27, 2009.
Kirisci, L., & Mezzich, J. Development of International Network of Person-Centered Medicine Informational Base and Clearinghouse. Paper presented at the annual meeting of International Network of Person-Centered Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland, May 1-4, 2010.
Kirisci, L., & Mezzich, J. Person-Centered Medicine Information Project. Paper presented at the annual meeting of International Network of Person-Centered Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland, May 1-4, 2010.
Kirisci, L. Tarter, R., Vanyukov, M., Reynolds, M., Stone, C., & Mezzich, A. Efficiency and sensitivity of computerized adaptive testing of risk for SUD. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the College on Problems of Drug Dependence, June 13-17, 2010.
Kirisci, L., Vanyukov, M., Tarter, R., Ridenour, T., & Reynolds, M. Quantification of risk for substance use disorder using computerized adaptive test format: A simulation study. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Prevention Research, Denver, CO, June 1-4, 2010.
Salloum, I., Cornelius, J., Kirisci, L., & Douaihy, A. Differential impact of persistent depression vs. persistent anxiety on alcohol use outcomes in patients with alcoholism and comorbid major depression. Paper presented at the annual meeting of Research Society on Alcoholism, San Antonio, TX, June-26-30, 2010.
Salloum, I., Cornelius, J., Kirisci, L., & Douaihy, A. Depressive symptoms and tobacco use predict alcohol outcome in comorbid depression and alcoholism. Paper presented at the annual meeting of NCDEU, Boca Raton, FL, June-14-17, 2010.
Salloum, I., Cornelius, J., Kirisci, L., & Douaihy, A. Pharmacotherapy of alcoholism with comorbid major depression: predictors of alcohol outcomes. Paper presented at the annual meeting of International Society for Biomedical Research on Alcoholism, Paris, FR, September 13-16, 2010.
Kirisci, L. Tarter, R., Vanyukov, M., Reynolds, M., & Ridenour, T.. Quantifying transmissible risk for cannabis use disorder from childhood to adulthood. Paper presented at the annual meeting of Society for Prevention Research, Denver, CO, June 1-4, 2010.
