Cassie Boness, PhD
Research Assistant Professor, University of New Mexico
Director, Boness Addictions Lab
Center on Alcohol, Substance use, And Addictions (CASAA)
Cassie Boness, Ph.D. (she/they), is a licensed clinical psychologist and addiction scientist. She completed her graduate training at the University of Missouri and her clinical internship at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Western Psychiatric Hospital. She is currently a Research Assistant Professor at UNM CASAA where she runs the Boness Addictions Lab (BAL). Her federally funded research aims to reduce suffering in the lives of people with substance use disorders. She is passionate about equity and inclusion.
Interests
- Etiologic and maintenance mechanisms in addiction
- Community-driven research
- Reducing harm
- Measurement and assessment
- Precision medicine
Daniel Vega
Research Coordinator
Daniel Vega is a Research Coordinator in the Boness Addictions Lab, where he oversees projects related to substance use and addiction. He completed his BA in Psychology at the University of North Texas. His research interests include addiction and decision making.
Kara Link
Incoming Graduate Student
Kara graduated from the University of Washington (UW) in 2021 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a minor in Spanish. After graduating, she worked as a research coordinator in the UW Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Rehabilitation and Wellness Research Center studying psychosocial interventions (e.g., cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness-based interventions) for symptoms of MS such as chronic pain and fatigue.
Kara entered the Clinical Psychology PhD program at the University of New Mexico in 2024 under the mentorship of Dr. Boness. Her primary research interests include harm reduction and precision medicine approaches to substance use disorder treatment, community-engaged research, and the relationships between chronic pain and substance use. Through her work, Kara aims to reduce substance-related stigma and to center the voices of the communities with which she is working.
Israel Ayenigbara
Research Assistant
Israel Ayenigbara (he/him/his) is a certified Health Educator. He received his B.Sc.Ed in Health Education and M.Ed in Health Education with Specialization in School and Community Health Education from Nigerian Universities. Israel’s research interests center primarily on addiction (substance use effects and prevention). He has a real passion for behavioral and community-based interventions, especially novel interventions for the prevention and control of substance use among high risk groups. Currently, Israel is preparing to apply to Social and Behavioral graduate programs.
Jessica Murray
Research Assistant
Jessica Murray (she/her/hers) completed her BS in Psychology and Biochemistry at the University of New Mexico. Her interests include the neurobiology of addiction, health psychology, and increasing access to mental health services, especially in rural communities. Currently, Jessica is preparing to apply to a medical college program.
Malaika Philip
Research Assistant
Malaika Philip is a high school junior at Los Alamos High School. She is passionate about helping other students and the community and enjoys learning as much as possible from our lab. She is interested in majoring in psychology in college and is excited to be a part of the team.
Liliana Spurgeon
Community Partner & Consultant
Liliana (Lily) Spurgeon is a New Mexico Certified Peer Support Worker and one of the founders of Bilingual Hearts Consulting. She has also been in recovery from a substance use disorder for six years. She has also been in recovery for six years from a substance use disorder. She is able to provide support to people seeking recovery while maintaining a clear perspective on the need for cultural relevance for service-providing agencies.
Leslie Ann Wertz
Community Partner & Consultant
Leslie Ann Wertz is a licensed social worker and peer in Virginia. Leslie brings her passion for mental health trauma and addiction recovery – as a state representative with the Recovery Advocacy Project, she works year-round on community and public policy initiatives that offer solutions to America’s long standing addiction crisis.
BAL 