Bio
Dr. Cristina Risco is an Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Maryland, College Park, affiliated with the Clinical and Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory (CCN Lab). Her research and postdoctoral training have been supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). She received her PhD in counseling psychology from the University of Maryland, College Park, and her undergraduate degrees in psychology and sociology from the University of Florida.
Dr. Risco’s research focuses on socio-cultural factors and cognitive and affective processes that contribute to substance use vulnerability among racial and ethnic minority populations. Her work has examined risk-taking behaviors and social determinants of mental health in these populations across laboratory and naturalistic settings. She has also collaborated on multiple NIH-supported treatment development studies evaluating behavioral interventions in underserved communities. She is currently supported by a NIDA Mentored Clinical Scientist Research Career Development Award (NIDA K08 DA053441-01A1), through which she examines acute cognitive and affective mechanisms linking racial stigma, stress, and substance use vulnerability among Black/African American emerging adults.
From 2015–2022, Dr. Risco led an addiction science research training stream within the First-Year Innovation & Research Experience (FIRE) program—a multi-semester, research and mentorship experience for first-year students. The program spanned topics from neurobehavioral mechanisms of addiction to the treatment of addictive behaviors and co-occurring psychological conditions. Students received hands-on training in clinical-cognitive neuroscience methods, including electroencephalography (EEG) and event-related potentials (ERPs). A central emphasis of the program was on populations disproportionately affected by substance use and related health outcomes.
