Grantee Honors

Dr. Frederick Altice, Director of Clinical and Community Research and Associate Professor of Medicine at Yale University, was awarded the HIV/AIDS Service Award by the Connecticut State Assembly for his clinical work and research with drug abusers and those involved in criminal justice.

Dr. Angela Bryan, Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Colorado Boulder received the 2006 Award for Distinguished Scientific Early Career Contributions to Psychology from the American Psychological Association. Dr. Bryan was recognized for her theoretical and applied research on health behavior change. Dr. Bryan's research program includes a NIDA funded longitudinal study examining the effects of marijuana use on high risk adolescents' HIV/AIDS related sexual behaviors.

Howard B. Kaplan, Ph.D., received the American Sociological Association's Leo G. Reeder Award for "Distinguished Contribution to Medical Sociology" at the August 2006 ASA meetings in Montreal, Canada. Dr. Kaplan is Regents Professor, Distinguished Professor of Sociology, and the Mary Thomas Marshall Professor of Liberal Arts at Texas A & M University. The award honors his more than 40 years' work in the field of medical sociology and recognizes his leadership and effective advocacy for the significance of sociological research in addressing mental health and substance abuse problems.

As part of the second annual Science Leadership Conference of the Science Directorate of the American Psychological Association, two DBNBR grantees, Dr. Wendy Lynch, University of Virginia, and Dr. Colleen McClung, UT Southwestern Medical Center, were feted along with 20 other outstanding early career psychological scientists at a reception and poster session in honor of their achievements on December 1, 2006. Dr. Lynch's poster was entitled, "Influence of Sex and Ovarian Hormones on 'Binge' Cocaine Self-Administration," and Dr. McClung's poster was entitled, "The Molecular Mechanisms of Mood Disorders and Drug Addiction: Role of the Circadian Clock."

Dr. Flavio Marsiglia received the National Award of Excellence in Mentorship from the National Hispanic Science Network on Drug Abuse on September 14, 2006. This award recognizes a senior investigator who has provided outstanding mentorship in the area of Hispanic drug abuse.

Dennis McCarty, PI for the CTN Oregon/Hawaii Node, was elected to Fellow status in the American Psychological Association, Division 28 - Psychopharmacology and Substance Abuse (effective January 2007). Fellow status is awarded, in part, on the basis of evaluated evidence of outstanding contribution in the field of psychology.

Dr. Jody Sindelar of Yale University has been named the President of the American Society for Health Economists.

Dr. Richard Spoth received recognition for the NIDA supported PROSPER Project as a "Program of Distinction" by the National 4H Council.

Dr. Richard Spoth received recognition for the Strengthening Families Program--Parents and Youth 10-14--as a "Program of Distinction" by the National 4H Council.

Dr. Jose Szapocznik, Director of the University of Miami Center for Family Studies and Principal Investigator of the CTN Florida Node, made the rounds of the Hispanic media outlets in Miami to help launch the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Media Campaign. In addition to appearing on the nation's top Hispanic morning television show, "Despierta America", Dr. Szapocznik was also interviewed by Univision Radio, Telemundo Television Network and El Nuevo Herald. The El Nuevo Herald published a front-page story on the ONDCP's and Dr. Szapocznik's efforts to try to reach out to and educate Hispanic parents about the dangers of prescription drug abuse among their youth.

Dr. Jose Szapocznik, Director of the University of Miami Center for Family Studies and Chair of the National Hispanic Science Network on Drug Abuse, was featured for his scientific contributions to the U.S. Hispanic community during a Discovery en Espanol prime-time network special that aired on September 24, 2006. Intended to launch the celebration of Hispanic Heritage month, this original, four-part documentary series profiled prominent U.S. Hispanic scientists. Dr. Szapocznik and the other Pioneros were congratulated. The episode recounted the stories of sacrifice and successes [during their American journey] of Dr. Szapocznik and others, including Franklin Chang Diaz, the first Hispanic astronaut, Mario Molina, a Nobel prize winner in chemistry, Victor Penchaszadeth, Director of the World Health Organization's Collaborating Center in Community Genetics and Education, and renowned seismologist Ines Cifuentes. As Director of the University of Miami Center for Family Studies, Dr. Szapocznik developed the flagship program on basic and clinical research on family interventions for the prevention and treatment of Hispanic adolescent problem behaviors, including drug abuse.

University of Miami's Center for Family Studies was recognized as a "2006 Best Practice" by the State of Florida Department of Children and Families and the Florida Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association for "Brief Strategic Family Therapy TM", the intervention model developed by Dr. Jose Szapocznik and colleagues at the University. The award was accepted by Dr. Szapocznik at the Association's Annual Conference on August 17th in Orlando, Florida. The Center for Family Studies National Training Institute provides training and certification in BSFT TM, in Spanish or English, to agencies around the country.