Carolyn Lauckner, PhD

Carolyn Lauckner profile photo

Director of Postdoctoral Training, Associate Professor

Dr. Carolyn Lauckner, an Associate Professor and Director of Postdoctoral Training in the Charles Stewart Mott Department of Public Health, conducts research centered on the development of behavioral interventions that utilize modern communication technologies to encourage the adoption of healthy behaviors. Her work primarily focuses on reducing substance and alcohol use among vulnerable populations, though she has also collaborated on research seeking to address food insecurity through food is medicine approaches.

Dr. Lauckner is currently mPI on a NIAAA-funded R01 testing an innovative app-based alcohol reduction intervention for young adult individuals at risk for HIV. She is also interested in the intersection between alcohol use and cancer control and prevention, having served as mPI on an NCI-funded study developing an intervention to reduce alcohol use among adolescent and young adult cancer survivors. Her work combines phone-based motivational interviewing, ecological momentary assessments, customized smartphone apps, Bluetooth breathalyzers, and home-based drug, alcohol, and STI testing, all in an effort to provide fully remote behavioral interventions. Prior to joining MSU, Dr. Lauckner co-led an initiative aiming to foster mobile health research at the University of Kentucky, and has mentored junior faculty as part of an NIMH-funded training grant focused on conducting community-engaged research.

Dr. Lauckner is a native Michigander, having grown up in Saginaw, MI, and she is thrilled to be working to improve the health of communities in her home state.

Select Publications

Lauckner C, Taylor E, Patel D, Whitmire A. The feasibility of using smartphones and mobile breathalyzers to monitor alcohol consumption among people living with HIV/AIDS. Addiction science & clinical practice. 2019;14(1):1-11. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13722-019-0174-0

Viera, A., Tengatenga, C., McBurney, E., Lauckner, J., Tran, E., Muilenburg, J. L., ... & Lauckner, C. (2023). “The phone is my lifeline”: Use of mobile phone technology to support recovery among individuals in treatment for substance use disorders. Substance use & misuse58(11), 1360-1366. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11608642/

Haney, K., Borger, T., Bursac, V., Sorge, C., Shelton, B., Salsman, J., ... & Lauckner, C. (2025). Identifying Adaptations to an mHealth Alcohol Reduction Intervention for Reducing Alcohol Use in Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Survivors: Qualitative Study. JMIR Cancer11, e59949. https://cancer.jmir.org/2025/1/e59949

Mayfield, C., Lauckner, C., Bush, J., Cosson, E., Batey, L., & Gustafson, A. (2025). Development of a statewide network hub for screening, referral, and enrollment into food as medicine programs across Kentucky. Frontiers in Public Health12, 1502858. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1502858/full

Research Projects

  • TRAC-ER: Tracking and Reducing Alcohol Consumption and Environmental Risk
    This NIAAA-funded project, co-led with Dr. Trace Kershaw, aims to develop and test an ecological momentary intervention for reducing alcohol use among young adults vulnerable to HIV.
  • PROMISE: Promoting Recovery Outcomes through Motivational Interviewing and Social Network Engagement
    This pilot project, co-led with Dr. Carrie Oser, is developing and testing an mHealth intervention for providing recovery support to people with a history of substance use disorder. It combines weekly counseling sessions, wearable devices that monitor stress, social network assessments, daily surveys, and at-home drug testing.
  • TECH Initiative
    The Technologies for Empowering Community Health (TECH) Initiative at Michigan State University drives innovation in public health. We foster high-impact research, professional training, and community engagement to transform health care delivery through technology.

Select Media Coverage

To request a comprehensive CV summarizing Dr. Lauckner’s achievements, email her at clauck@msu.edu.