About Me
Kyla-Rose Walden is a Ph.D. student in the Clinical Psychology doctoral program at USC. They work with Dr. Luczak as a primary research mentor and Dr. Gerald Davison as a clinical co-mentor. They conduct research that explores the relationship between identity-related stress and alcohol use in sexual and racial minority populations using real-time assessment paradigms in the laboratory and field.
S.M.A.R.T.
The Sexual Minority Alcohol Research Team (S.M.A.R.T) in the Luczak Lab is led by clinical psychology Ph.D. student Kyla-Rose Walden. Their studies explore the relationships between identity, stigma, and problem alcohol use using real-time assessment methodologies in the laboratory and field. Their master’s pilot study focused on developing a novel method of Articulated Thoughts in Simulated Situations (ATSS) administration to assess the relationship between sexual orientation related microaggressions and alcohol use to cope with minority-stress. Their program of research will continue to expand upon these research questions, integrating intersectional perspectives to understand how multiple marginalized identities (e.g., racial identity) intersect to produce one’s experience with stigma, discrimination, and drinking to cope.
Publications
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*Walden, K. R., Thamer-Nall, M., Cooper, S., Loynd, E., Saldich, E. B., Luczak, S. E., & Davison, G. C. (2025). Developing and piloting an online articulated thoughts in simulated situations (ATSS) paradigm to explore drinking to cope among sexual minorities. Psychology & Sexuality, 16(4), 1322–1341. https://doi.org/10.1080/19419899.2025.2521643
*Davison, G. C., & Walden, K. R. (2024). History and iatrogenic effects of conversion therapy. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 20.
*Walden, K. R., Saldich, E. B., Wong, G., Liu, H., Wang, C., Rosen, I. G., & Luczak, S. E. (2023). Momentary assessment of drinking: Past methods, current approaches incorporating biosensors, and future directions. In Psychology of Learning and Motivation (Vol. 79, pp. 271-301). Academic Press. doi: 10.1016/bs.plm.2023.06.002
Walden, K. R., Wong, G., Bao, Y., Saldich, E. B., Rosen, I. G., Wang, C., & Luczak, S. E. (2023, June). Exploring participant feedback on using a smartphone web-app to self-calibrate models that estimate BRAC from transdermal alcohol biosensor data. In Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research (Vol. 47, S1 249-249). https://doi.org/10.1111/acer.15068
Walden, K.-R., Oomur, S., Saldich, E. B., Mahoomed, T., & Luczak, S. E. (2021). Internalizing behavior and inhibition/activation sensitivity in Mauritian youth with and without parental history of drinking problems. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 45, (Suppl. 1), 105A.
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Walden, K.-R., Thamer-Nall, M., Cooper, S., Kennedy, R., Kahn, A., Loynd, E., Saldich, E.B., Wong, G.Y., Luczak, S.E., Davison, G.C. Exploring In-The-Moment Minority-Stress and Alcohol Use Among Sexual Minorities Using Articulated Thoughts in Simulated Situations. In Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research (Vol 48, S1 1-3). https://doi.org/10.1111/acer.15314
Walden, K. R., Cooper, S., Kahn, A., Kennedy, R., Thamer-Nall, M., Wong, G., Saldich, E.B., Luczak, S.E., & Davison, G. C. (2023, June). Developing a novel Articulated Thoughts in Simulated Situations (ATSS) protocol to explore in-the-moment LGBTQ plus microaggressions and use. In Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research (Vol. 47, S1 pp. 307-307). https://doi.org/10.1111/acer.15068