Rory A. Pfund

Rory A. Pfund, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Memphis and serves as Research Director of the Tennessee Institute for Gambling Education & Research. He specializes in evaluating psychological treatments for gambling disorder and substance use disorder, utilizing methodologies like meta-analysis and randomized controlled trials. His work focuses on improving treatment efficacy through evidence-based practices such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and contingency management.

Education: B.S., University of Scranton; M.S. and Ph.D., University of Memphis.

Research Interests: Dr. Pfund’s research emphasizes optimizing treatment outcomes for addictions and gambling issues. Key areas include developing open-access meta-analytic databases (e.g., www.metapsy.org/database/gambling), modernizing personalized feedback interventions for college students, and creating web-based portals to streamline gambling disorder treatment access (e.g., www.thegamblingclinic.com). His work bridges clinical practice with rigorous statistical evaluation.

Grants & Funding: Supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, International Center for Responsible Gambling, and Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse.

Labs/Teams: Active in the Tennessee Institute for Gambling Education & Research, focusing on translational research to address gambling-related harms. Serves as Associate Editor for Addiction and Journal of Gambling Studies, and Consulting Editor for Psychology of Addictive Behaviors.