Catharine E. Fairbairn M. S.
3137 Sennott Square
210 South Bouquet Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
Email: cef24@pitt.edu
EDUCATION
GRADUATE:
2009 - PRESENT
UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH
Joint Clinical/Biological & Health Psychology Ph.D. program
PITTSBURGH, PA
GPA: 3.97
CLINICAL INTERNSHIP: (2014-AUGUST 2015): VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, MI.

DISSERTATION (DEFENDED APRIL 2014): Personality differences in subjective effects of alcohol: A dynamic
examination of the pathways explaining alcohol-related reward. Adviser: Michael A. Sayette, Ph.D.

SPECIALTY PAPER (2012): An examination of subjective response to alcohol in a social context. Adviser: Michael A.
Sayette, Ph.D.

MASTER’S OF SCIENCE (2012): The impact of alcohol consumption on the displayed affect of white individuals
engaging in interracial interactions. Adviser: Michael A. Sayette, Ph.D.
UNDERGRADUATE:
2002- 2006
BARNARD COLLEGE, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
B.A., Psychology and Music (double major)
NEW YORK, NY
GPA: 3.92
HONORS
2013
2012-2013
2012
2009-2010
2006
2005-2006
2004
Bassell Student Publication Award, Psychology Department University of Pittsburgh
Nationality Program International Research Award, $4000, University of Pittsburgh
Graduate Student Merit Award, Research Society on Alcoholism
E. B. Huey Research Award, $1,000, Psychology Department University of Pittsburgh)
Diversity Travel Award, $1,000, Psychology Department University of Pittsburgh
School of Arts and Sciences Graduate Fellowship, University of Pittsburgh
Phi Beta Kappa, Barnard College
Summa Cum Laude
Barnard College Commencement Speaker
Barnard College Writing Fellowship
National Geographic/Glimpse Magazine—2004 2nd place “Forgone Conclusions” essay competition
Abroad View Magazine—published fall 2004 “Personal Journeys” essay competition
RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program
Institution: University of Pittsburgh
Sponsor: Michael A. Sayette Ph.D., Department of Psychology
Funding: $41,000 per year (total costs), September 2011 – September 2014
Description: Supporting cross-disciplinary graduate research in clinical and social psychology
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Opportunities Worldwide
Institution: University of Oslo
Sponsor: Arnoldo Frigessi and Odd O. Aalen Ph.D., Department of Biostatistics
Funding: $24,147, August 2013 – December 2013
Description: Supporting international collaboration in frailty survival modeling for high-dimensional data
Fairbairn, C. E.
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PUBLICATIONS
Fairbairn, C. E., Sayette, M. A. (In Press). A social-attributional analysis of alcohol response. Psychological Bulletin.
Sayette, M. A., Fairbairn, C. E. & Creswell, K. G. (In Press). Alcohol and emotion: The importance of social context. In C.
E. Kopetz & C. Lejuez (Ed.), Frontiers of Social Psychology.
Fairbairn, C. E. & Sayette, M. A. (2013). The effect of alcohol on emotional inertia: A test of alcohol myopia. Journal of
Abnormal Psychology, 122, 770-781.
Yang, Y, Fairbairn, C. E., & Cohn, J. F. (2013). Detecting depression severity from vocal prosody. IEEE Transactions in
Affective Computing, 4, 142-150.
Fairbairn, C. E., Sayette, M. A., Levine, J. M., Cohn, J. F., & Creswell, K. G. (2013). The impact of alcohol on the
emotional displays of white members of interracial groups. Emotion, 13, 468-477.
Sayette, M. A., Creswell, K. G., Dimoff, J. D., Fairbairn, C. E., Cohn, J. F., Heckman, B. W., Kirchner, T. R., et al. (2012).
Alcohol and group formation: A multimodal investigation of the effects of alcohol on emotion and social bonding.
Psychological Science, 23, 869–878.
Fairbairn, C. E., Dundon, W. D., Plebani, J. G., Xie, H., Lynch, K. G., & Kampman, K. M. (2008). Study blinding and
correlations between perceived group assignment and outcome in a cocaine pharmacotherapy trial. The American
Journal on Addictions, 17, 387-391.
MANUSCRIPTS UNDER REVIEW AND IN PREPARATION
Fairbairn, C. E., Sayette, M. A., Aalen, O. O., Frigessi, A. (Revised Resubmission Under Review). Alcohol and Emotional
Contagion: An Examination of the Spreading of Smiles in Male and Female Drinking Groups. Clinical Psychological
Science.
Fairbairn, C. E. (Manuscript in Preparation). Keeping Time: A Nested Frailty Survival Approach for the Examination of
Behavioral Observational Data
Fairbairn, C. E., Sayette, M. A., Wright, A. G. C., Levine, J. M., Cohn, J. F., Creswell, K. G. (Manuscript in Preparation).
Extraversion and the Rewarding Effects of Alcohol in a Social Context
Fairbairn, C. E., Sayette, M. A., Amole, M. (Manuscript in Preparation). Alcohol and the rhythm of social exchange: A
spectral analysis of speech volume in social interaction.
PRESENTATIONS
Graber, E. C., Hiller, A. D., Fairbairn, C. E., Berenson, K., Rafaeli, E. (2006). Using daily diary data to measure affective
instability in borderline patients. Poster presented at the annual conference of the Association for Psychological
Science, New York, NY.
Kampman, K. M., Lynch, K., Pettinati, H. M., Dackis, C., Dundon, W., Varillo, K., Fairbairn, C., O’Brien, C. P. (2007).
The measurement of craving in cocaine pharmacotherapy trials: what do we learn from it? Poster presented at the
annual conference of the College on Problems in Drug Dependence, Quebec City, Quebec.
Plebani, J. G., Kampman, K. M., Pettinati, H. M., Dackis, C., O’Brien, C. P., Varillo, K., Yama, M., Fairbairn, C. (2007).
Implications of early in-treatment cocaine abstinence for later abstinence on high CSSA patients. Paper presented at
the annual conference of the College of Problems on Drug Dependence, Quebec City, Quebec.
Fairbairn, C. E., Kampman, K. M., Alterman, A. I., Dundon, W. D., Plebani, J. G., Lynch, K. G., Pettinati, H. M. (2008).
Antisocial participants report differing amounts of drinking in two outpatient pharmacotherapy trials. Poster
presented at the annual conference of the Association for Psychological Science, Chicago, IL.
Fairbairn, C. E.
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Creswell, K. G., Fairbairn, C. E., Dimoff, J. D., Heckman, B. W, Sayette, M. A. (2012). Alcohol and group formation: A
multimodal investigation of the effects of alcohol on emotion and social bonding. Poster presented at the annual
conference of the Research Society on Alcoholism, San Francisco, CA.
Fairbairn, C. E., Sayette, M. A., Cohn, J. F., Levine, J. M., Antimarino, M. A., Sayers, W. M. (2012). The effect of alcohol
on White members of interracial groups. Poster presented at the annual conference of the Research Society on
Alcoholism, San Francisco, California.
Sayette, M. A., Creswell, K. G., Dimoff, J. D., Fairbairn, C. E., Cohn, J. F., Heckman, B. W, Kirchner, T. R., Levine, J. M,
& Moreland, R. L. (2012, May). Effects of alcohol on emotion and social bonding during group formation. Paper
presented at the annual conference of the Association of Psychological Science, Chicago, Illinois.
Sayette, M. A., Creswell, K. G., Dimoff, J. D., Fairbairn, C. E., Cohn, J. F., Heckman, B. W, Kirchner, T. R., Levine, J. M,
& Moreland, R. L. (2012, October). The impact of alcohol on social bonding during group formation. Paper
presented at the annual conference of the Society of Experimental Social Psychology, Austin, Texas.
Creswell, K. G., Sayette, M. A. Manuck, S. B., Dimoff, J. D., & Fairbairn, C. E. (2013, June). Interactive effects of the
DRD4 VNTR polymorphism and group alcohol consumption on perceived humor of a Seinfeld comedy clip. Poster
presented at the annual conference of the Research Society on Alcoholism, Orlando, Florida.
Fairbairn, C. E., Sayette, M. A., Dimoff, J. D., & Creswell, K. G. (2013, June). Whiskey river take my mind: A dynamic test
of alcohol myopia. Poster presented at the annual conference of the Research Society on Alcoholism, Orlando,
Florida.
Fairbairn, C. E. (2013, September). The acute effects of alcohol in a social setting. Invited paper presented at the
University of Oslo, Department of Biostatistics, Oslo, Norway.
CLINICAL EXPERIENCE
9/12-5/13
Center for Psychiatric and Chemical Dependency Services, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic,
Pittsburgh, PA
Graduate Student Intern
Led psychotherapy groups for patients with co-occurring substance abuse disorders and other major
psychiatric illness enrolled in the partial hospitalization program; implemented cognitive-behavioral and
mindfulness-based substance abuse treatment modalities within a group treatment setting; designed and
implemented both structured and unstructured group treatment modules including formalized psychoeducational instruction, directed therapeutic activities/writing, and unstructured group processing segments;
received regular live supervision of therapeutic activities from an experienced supervisor.
1/13-5/13
Sports Concussion Clinic, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA
Graduate Student Intern
Administered and interpreted neuropsychological batteries including ImPACT tests with adolescents and
adults diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries; assessed vestibular and ocular disturbances related to
concussion; conducted semi-structured intake interviews to diagnose and disseminate treatment for
concussions; coordinated care with other health care professionals including ocular therapists, physical
therapists, neurologists, and neuropsychologists.
5/10-8/13
Clinical Psychology Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
Graduate Student Clinician
Provided individual therapy using empirically-supported treatments in an outpatient mental health clinic;
received training in cognitive-behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy and mindfulness-based therapies;
administered, scored, and interpreted tests of cognitive and neurological functioning (e.g., WAIS-IV,
WMS-IV, TOVA, Stroop) and personality inventories (e.g., MMPI-2); conducted structured clinical
interviews (Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders; SCID); provided comprehensive
verbal and written feedback and made treatment recommendations; participated in group and peer
supervision; wrote integrative reports; consulted with psychiatrist regarding client medications.
Fairbairn, C. E.
1/12-8/12
Clinical Psychology Center (Group Therapy Externship), University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
Graduate Student Intern
Provided group counseling to clients diagnosed with social anxiety and other mood disorders in an
outpatient mental health clinic; received training in empirically-supported group counseling modalities;
coordinated medical care for group clients with clinic psychiatrist.
5/05-8/05
Coler-Goldwater Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, New York, NY
Undergraduate Student Intern
Led semi-structured therapeutic support groups for patients admitted to a long term medical nursing
facility; received supervision in providing culturally competent therapeutic care; led support groups
focused on psychological issues surrounding substance abuse and AIDS diagnosis; visited individual
patients and administered semi-structured mood and cognitive questionnaires.
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RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
8/13-present
University of Oslo—Visiting Researcher
Oslo, Norway
Project Description: International collaboration with researchers in the Department of Biostatistics to
develop methods for the analysis of affective fluctuation and social coordination in a high-dimensional
behavioral dataset.
Responsibilities: Consult with internationally-recognized researchers in survival analysis and Markov
processes regarding data analytic plan; attend seminars and colloquia on relevant statistical methodologies;
read survival theory and generate programming code to be used in analysis; present findings of project in
oral and written form.
9/09-Present
University of Pittsburgh—Graduate Student
Pittsburgh, PA
Project Description: A large (N=720) alcohol administration study investigating the effects of alcohol on
emotion, cognition, social bonding processes, and social behavior in a community sample of male and
female social drinkers.
Responsibilities: Supervised teams of up 8 undergraduate research assistants; created and maintained
programs for computer-assisted coding of time-locked video coding; coded facial expressions using Paul
Ekman’s Facial Action Coding System; devised and implemented data analytic strategies examining
clustered, discrete time-series data; dissemination of study findings.
10/06-8/09
University of Pennsylvania Treatment Research Center—Project Manager
Philadelphia, PA
Project Description: Outpatient pharmacotherapy treatment trials with a community sample of cocaine and
alcohol dependent individuals (N=200).
Responsibilities: Conducted structured clinical interviews with study participants; coordinated
communication with Institutional Review Board; coordinated study personnel; conducted independent
research using existing study data; formulated research questions; formulated and implemented data
analytic strategy; manuscript preparation and dissemination of study findings.
5/06-10/06
Columbia Substance Use Research Center—Research Assistant
New York, NY
Project Description: Inpatient cocaine administration trials examining the impact of pharmacotherapy and
contingency-management programs on human cocaine self-administration in controlled laboratory settings.
Responsibilities: Performed telephone screenings; performed EKGs; administered cognitive tests (WAIS
and Stroop); programmed and monitored study computers.
8/05-9/06
Barnard Affect and Relationships Lab—Research Assistant
New York, NY
Project Description: Daily diary studies using palmtop computers examining daily emotional fluctuations
of subjects with borderline personality disorder.
Responsibilities: Active role in development of experimental protocols; performed literature searches;
designed poster presentations; retrieved data from palmtop computers; performed statistical analyses.
1/06-7/06
Columbia Medical School Center for Education Research—Research Assistant
New York, NY
Project Description: Education intervention protocols examining the impact of prevention versus
promotion focused trainings on graduate student achievement
Responsibilities: Participated in the composition of research proposals and grant proposals; evaluated and
gave feedback on both content and style of research papers.
Fairbairn, C. E.
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TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Summer ’10 – Spring ‘12 Directed Research Alcohol and Smoking Research Lab--Research Mentor
Pittsburgh, PA
Supervise and mentor 5-8 undergraduate student researchers enrolled in the Directed Research
Seminar each semester. Responsibilities include: selecting readings, designing the syllabus,
leading group discussions, creating assignments, and grading final research papers.
Spring ’11 - Summer ‘11 Introduction to Social Psychology—Teaching Fellow
Pittsburgh, PA
Designed and taught two introductory social psychology lecture courses to a diverse group of
undergraduates at the University of Pittsburgh during both Spring (90 students) and Summer (30
students) sessions. Duties included selecting course content, writing and delivering PowerPoint
presentations and designing class activities, writing and grading tests and quizzes, and meeting
with individual students.
Summer ‘10
Learning and Motivation Laboratory—Teaching Fellow
Pittsburgh, PA
Designed and taught an advanced undergraduate laboratory course at the University of Pittsburgh.
Responsibilities included: designing class activities, creating and giving PowerPoint lectures,
creating assignments, and grading student work.
PROFESSIONAL SERVICE
9/12-9/13
Psychology Department Clinical Training Program—Student Representative
Attended faculty meetings and advocated for student interests in discussions pertaining to future training
options, department hiring decisions, departmental budget, etc. Managed student funds, helped organize
departmental functions, organized student events, and kept minutes of faculty meetings.
9/11-9/13
Psychology Department Diversity Committee—President
The Diversity Committee aims to increase awareness of diversity within the psychology department at the
University of Pittsburgh through providing mentoring of minority undergraduate students and support for
diversity-oriented graduate student research. Duties as president included managing committee funds,
coordinating diversity committee activities including colloquium speaker and poster session, and selecting
student applications for diversity research mini-grants and travel awards.
SPECIALIZED TRAINING AND LANGUAGES
Advanced Statistical Analysis and Programing
Survival Analysis (8/13-12/13): training fellowship, University of Oslo, Department of Biostatistics
Hierarchical Linear Modeling (1/11-5/11): University of Pittsburgh Psychology of Education Department
Time Series Analysis (9/11-12/11): University of Pittsburgh Statistics Department
Structural Equation Modeling (1/12-5/12): University of Pittsburgh Psychology Department
Data Programing in SAS (1/13-5/13): University of Pittsburgh Biostatistics Department
Behavioral Analysis
Facial Action Coding System: Completed 100 hours of training and am certified as a FACS coder.
Languages
Spanish (9/08-2/09): Intensive language study in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala and Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Italian (9/03-12/04): Intensive language study at Columbia University and Padova, Italy.