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TIGER Group 2024

(Top Row: From left to right, Ryan Hjelle, Chance Dow, Noah Anderson, Marcos Lerma, Matt Andersland, Dr. Rory Pfund;

Second Row: From left to right, Dorothy Koompah, Natasha Bourgoin, Mara Sindoni, Andrea Perez-Muñoz, Anisha Patel, Olivia Glasgow, Amanda Silcox;

Third Row: From left to right, Jennifer McQueen, Charity Perry, Leonardo Martinez-Torres, Bre'Anna Free, Blaine Stiglets, Dr. James Whelan

Final Row: Esther Hudson, Rachelle Kromash, Shelby Whalen, Adrianna Valencia, Brianna Morelli, Dr. Meredith Ginley, Dr. Ginger Whelan, Keith Windsor)

 

Gambling Lab People

 

Who We Are

Our staff at TIGER consists of three directors (Dr. Whelan, Dr. Pfund, & Dr. Ginley) that are faculty at UofM and ETSU, administrative personnel, and students that provide therapy to gambling clients and conduct gambling research. Please see below for more information on specific staff members. 

James P. Whelan, PhD. Research Professor in the University of Memphis and Executive Director of the Tennessee Institute for Gambling Education and Research (TIGER). For over 20 years, TIGER has operated a treatment clinic for individuals with gambling disorder and a research lab dedicated to exploring problem gambling prevention, assessment, and treatment. Dr. Whelan has published widely on important questions related to gambling disorder. He has served in various capacities to increase awareness of research-based responsible gambling. He was also the recipient of the 2022 Scientific Achievement Award from the International Center for Responsible Gambling. Currently, TIGER is developing a comprehensive system of care for Tennesseans (https://thegamblingclinic.com/) experiencing gambling-related problems and for people concerned about their loved one’s gambling. Email: jwhelan@memphis.edu

Dr. Rory A. Pfund is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Memphis. He serves as the Clinic and Research Director of the Tennessee Institute for Gambling Education & Research. Dr. Pfund is also a licensed clinical psychologist in Tennessee. He is the author or co-author on over 50 peer-reviewed publications. His research program focuses on evaluating and personalizing psychological treatments for individuals with addiction. His research uses a variety of methods, including randomized controlled trials, secondary data analysis, and meta-analysis. Dr. Pfund has been a recipient of grants from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), the International Center for Responsible Gaming, and the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. He has also been the recipient of the International Center for Responsible Gaming's Scientific Achievement Award. Dr. Pfund serves the Associate Editor for Addiction and a Consulting Editor for Psychology of Addictive Behaviors.

Dr. Meredith Ginley is the Principal Instigator of the PETAL Lab. She completed her undergraduate degree at Tufts University and her Ph.D. at The University of Memphis under the mentorship of Dr. James Whelan and Dr. Andrew Meyers. Dr. Ginley completed my clinical internship at the University of Mississippi Medical Center and G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery VA Medical Center Consortium and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in addiction at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine/ UConn Health within the Calhoun Cardiology Center-Behavioral Health under the mentorship of Dr. Nancy Petry. Dr. Ginley considers herself to be an addictions "generalist" but does have a fondness for behavioral addictions. Check out her CV to see some of her recently completed work. Additionally, Dr. Ginley am very interested in psychometric assessment and biostatistics. 

Esther Hudson (University of Memphis - BA in Psychology, 2022) is the Systems Coordinator for TIGER. She operates day-to-day functions and manages TIGER's current grant. Email: asutton3@memphis.edu 

Treatment and Consultation Team

The Gambling Clinic treatment is staffed by doctoral students in clinical psychology at University of Memphis, TSU, and ETSU. All three doctoral programs are highly competitive, allowing for the selection of some of the very best, accredited by the American Psychological Association’s Commission on Accreditation. Before joining our team, these future psychologists complete a rigorous sequence of academic work and applied clinical experiences. They then receive focused training to address gambling problems. All efforts by this staff are supervised by the leadership team, who are licensed psychologists.

The Gambling Clinic also includes Peer Recovery Specialists, individuals with lived experience of addiction-related concerns who each receive training to support those wanting help with addiction. They also receive additional training related to gambling-related harms. They are here to support those making changes and those who have questions from anyone. When a peer works with individuals, they support them throughout the entire continuum of the treatment process. From your first phone to months after you met your goals, you will have someone who has been where you are and as you continue your own recovery journey. You can talk to your Peer as much (or as little) as you want. They will work with your therapist to create an individual experience to help you meet your goals.

Collaborators