Welcome to the BEAVERS Lab!

Biology and Emotion of Addiction Via Experimental and Reproducible Science


Oregon State University Campus on rainy day

A drawing of a smiling beaver with an orange EEG cap on and two electrodes placed under its right eye.

We are a psychophysiological research lab in the School of Psychological Science at Oregon State University. We take a multi-method experimental approach to studying the affective and emotional responses to stressors and how commonly used drugs change those responses. We study the mechanisms of these responses by assessing their neurobiological, cognitive, and behavioral components. We want to learn how responses to stressors play a role in mental health challenges such as addiction and anxiety so, eventually, we can better treat such challenges. Because we want to get to the truth in our research, we approach our work with an eye to rigor, equity, and replicability all consistent with the “reproducibility revolution” and open science movement.

NOTE: Dr. Bradford WILL be reviewing applications for the 2024-2025 graduate student application cycle for the Psychology PhD program with focus on Health Psychology and for the new Clinical Science option. Our Clinical Science option is new this year and we intend to seek APA accreditation. If you would like to learn more about the Clinical Science option, please click here. You can find an FAQ that our lab thinks could be helpful with your application process here. Feel free to contact Dr. Bradford at with any questions.