Sandra Brown, PhD

Professor, Psychology, Psychiatry

University of California-San Diego

D5 ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS INVOLVING ADOLESCENT CHOICES

Sandra A. Brown, Ph.D. is Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego and Chief of Psychology Service at the Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System. She is also Associate Director of the Child and Adolescent Services Research Center at Children’s Hospital of San Diego. Dr. Brown is internationally recognized for her developmentally focused alcohol and drug intervention research. She is the past President of Division 50 (Addictions) of the American Psychological Association, is on the executive board of numerous scientific organizations and has over 250 publications. She is involved in addiction prevention and intervention at the regional, state and national level.

Dr. Brown’s research yielded some of the pioneering information on the relapse process for youth as well as long term outcomes for clinical samples of youth who have experienced alcohol and drug problems. Her current NIAAA, NIDA, and NIMH funded research investigates neurocognitive impact of early alcohol and drug exposure, processes whereby youth escalate or diminish their substance use with and without treatment, and the role of psychiatric comorbidity in the treatment of alcohol and drug problems, genetic factors including addiction development, and novel strategies to diminish substance problems among youth.