Center for the Study of Health & Risk Behaviors (CSHRB)

#CSHRB co-authored study indicates experiences of microaggressions, using cannabis to cope, & anxiety & depression may contribute to perceptions of heavier cannabis use among lesbian, bisexual, & queer women & gender diverse individuals bit.ly/4e0OaS6

#CSHRB study results provided some support for the theory that certain motive-context combinations produce more substance use & consequences among a sample of females who use cannabis regularly (including an oversampling of sexual & gender minority individuals) lnkd.in/gM7nb26j

#CSHRB thesis findings suggest that although alcohol is highly present within Pride events through structural factors such as venue type, marketing & sponsorship, individual drinking behavior appears to be more strongly predicted by one’s own behavioral baseline bit.ly/4yL1Ysa

#CSHRB co-authored study says using a stratified, design-based clinician-validation approach demonstrated that a chatbot-integrated safety agent detected suicide risk when risk was spontaneously disclosed, especially for imminent risk doi.org/10.21203/rs....

Oct 8 Psychiatry & Addictions Case Conference led by #CSHRB's Dr. Kristen Lindgren, 12-1:30 PM via Zoom ictp.uw.edu/registration/ PACC is a weekly teleconference, which includes educational & case presentations, connecting community providers with UW psychiatrists, psychologists & addictions experts

Please share with your contacts & RSVP. #CSHRB is hosting a virtual event open to anyone interested in psychology & health research, including high schoolers, community members & college students. We have a list of projects at our center that have openings for students this quarter & winter quarter

Welcome to #CSHRB's Antoine Lebeaut, profiled in the PBSCI Sept newsletter. He joined the department in June 2026 as an acting assistant professor with the TRI program. His research focuses on identifying risk & maintenance factors for PTSD & problematic alcohol use among adults & first responders

#CSHRB dissertation by Kirstyn Smith-LeCavalier developed & preliminarily validated a daily measure of cannabis protective behavioral strategies & explored machine learning methods to identify factors associated with cannabis use and consequences at the daily level bit.ly/4xO5Rex

White House Backtracks on Plan to Exert New Control Over N.I.H. Grants: Democrats and Republicans in Congress opposed the creation of a commission with the power to veto federal research awards www.nytimes.com/2026/09/23/u...

SAVE THE DATE: Join BHI every third Friday of the month, Oct-Dec, from 11 AM - 12 PM for the TeleBehavioral Health Training CME/CNE CEU-accredited series of presentations: October 16 – Dr. Michele Bedard-Gilligan, Trauma Focused Therapies via Telehealth, register: bit.ly/3TiarUc

“We’ve had so many conversations with first-responders who say that dealing with drug overdoses & repeat drug use isn’t what they were trained to do & yet it constitutes most of their calls,” says #ADAI's Mandy Owens on the eve of the First Responder Wellness Summit on UW campus 9/23 bit.ly/3V4NLHK

This came out in August, but still relevant. Officials push back on federal changes that could impact WA science news www.knkx.org/government/2...

Come see #CSHRB's Christine Lee & Griselda Martinez at the Seamar Health Conference representing Conéctate contigo mismo/Check in With Yourself between 11am-6pm this Sunday, Sept 20 at Seattle Center's Armory (Main Level) sites.uw.edu/conectate/

“To our knowledge, this study is the first to examine how getting secondary treatment may contribute to racial disparities in mortality among prostate cancer patients,” said 1st author #CSHRB's Dr. Jessica Acolin, now affiliate assistant professor in health systems & population health bit.ly/4hiKGfJ

#CSHRB co-authored study by E. Dworkin & E. Howe concludes baseline-referenced wearable features combined with daily self-report may help identify near-term PTSD symptom increases among recently discharged veterans with elevated PTSD symptoms & problematic cannabis use bit.ly/3UIxRma

"This research, especially around substance use, is really important because we see a lot of underrepresented and marginalized populations really suffer from high rates of mortality," Dr. Sebastian Tong of the UW School of Medicine says bit.ly/4yhWdSp

SAVE THE DATE: Sept 24-25 Re-Imagining Behavioral Health Conference hosted by the Harborview Behavioral Health Institute (BHI), 10 AM-3 PM (Thurs), 8 AM-1 PM (Fri)--Members of the behavioral health community will come together to share information, insights, practices & policies bit.ly/4glBAP5

On Oct 26, 8 AM-4:30 PM, Seattle Marriott Waterfront, the WA Mental Health Summit will bring together mental & behavioral health stakeholders to share innovative ideas, build partnerships & advance initiatives that strengthen prevention, treatment, recovery. Visit: ticketspotapp.com/e/WAMHSummit...

#CSHRB postdoc study concludes blocking the transcription factor Ddit3 (CHOP) & promoting mitigation of damaged or misfolded proteins in microglia may be important targets for reducing the impacts of ethanol withdrawal bit.ly/4gpt1Bl

CSDE Affiliate & #CSHRB's Jessica Acolin & co-authors published an article in JAMA Network Open titled, “Racial Differences in Secondary Treatment Pathways & Survival in Localized Prostate Cancer.” Black men are twice more likely to die of prostate cancer than white men bit.ly/4gax8RV

#CSHRB's Tessa Frohe (2nd from L.) & her colleagues in the Public Health Department receiving the prestigious Mosaic Award. The Mosaic Award recognizes groups within health services & policy research that have created a broader, more vibrant & welcoming experience for employees/members. Yay, Tessa!

#CSHRB's Myra Parker, JD, MPH, PhD was recently named the 2026 Alumni of Impact Awardee from the UW School of Public Health for her dedication to improving Indigenous public health. This is the highest honor given to alumni from the school. Congrats Myra!

Save the Date & Register: 2026 UW ADAI Symposium The Dose Makes the Poison: Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome Goes Mainstream hosted by the University of Washington (UW) Addictions, Drug & Alcohol Institute (ADAI) 9/18 from 9am-4pm PT, Free bit.ly/4hrA1je

Significant Achievement in Collaboration – Congrats to co-director of the Harm Reduction Research & Treatment (HaRRT) Center #CSHRB colleague Seema Clifasefi! The Significant Achievement in Collaboration award recognizes a faculty member in our department demonstrating exceptional collaboration

Study by #CSHRB alum says for the potential mental health benefits of AI chatbots to be realized, attention to safety is paramount. Findings support the reliability of VERA-MH, an open-source, fully automated AI safety evaluation for suicide risk detection and response bit.ly/3RfI1tc

Wayne J. Kayton Outstanding Research Mentor Award – Jason Kilmer This Mentor Award recognizes a faculty member who has demonstrated a sustained commitment to fostering the creative, scholarly, professional & personal development of their mentees.​ One of this year’s winners is #CSHRB's Jason Kilmer

A matter of great concern www.nytimes.com/2026/07/06/u...

Jason Williams & #CSHRB's Christine Lee, Michele Bedard-Gilligan, Urmi Pandya, Katherine Walukevich-Dienst & Katarina Guttmannova presented their research at the WSU/UW Cannabis Research Symposium at Washington State University in Pullman. Urmi won first place for the student presentation! Go Team!

Outstanding Early Career Researcher – Congrats #CSHRB's Katherine Walukevich-Dienst, PhD! The Outstanding Early Career Research Award recognizes an assistant professor level scientist who has demonstrated outstanding skills or impact as a researcher

Outstanding Education Mentor – Congrats to #CSHRB's Mary Larimer, PhD The Outstanding Education Mentor recognizes a faculty member (from any faculty pathway) in our department who has done an outstanding job mentoring & furthering the careers of faculty members dedicated to our educational mission

#CSHRB co-authored study says 1st therapy session contains meaningful signals about whether patients are likely to remain engaged in care or drop out. By analyzing patient-provider interactions in early conversation, we can identify early risk for disengagement & recognize its drivers bit.ly/4v6o1XS

#CSHRB co-authored study says as harm reductionists in alcohol intervention, we must continue to orient towards the future, working with communities & digital technologies to broaden the spectrum of people we can engage & ensure we continue to meet people where they’re at bit.ly/4eI6kaY

“There’s a massive unmet need in mental healthcare right now: Around half of people with mental illness don’t receive care & for those who do, they wait on average 50 days before their first appointment,” says Devon Sandel-Fernandez, clinical psychologist & #CSHRB colleague at UW School of Medicine.

#CSHRB study indicates greater overall implementation of sleep hygiene & use of specific strategies (i.e., avoiding pre-bedtime arousal, only using the bed for sleep & sex, & consistent sleep timing) is related to more favorable same-night sleep in adults with regular cannabis use bit.ly/3S6AlJS

Juneteenth is sometimes called Independence Day for Black Americans or America’s second Independence Day, & that spirit of hard-won freedom is at the heart of how the holiday is observed & celebrated today. Learn more about local celebrations & events you can attend hr.uw.edu/cfd/2026/05/...

This week's PsycShot published in Dep't of Psychiatry & Behavioral Science's News & Events, June 5, 2026, was taken at Fritz Hedges Waterway Park on UW campus where #CSHRB was celebrating their spring picnic on May 12. Go Team!

#CSHRB scoping review study highlights the depth & diversity of community-led, culturally grounded harm reduction practices in Indigenous communities across Turtle Island affirming that they are extensions of longstanding Indigenous ways of knowing, relating & caring for one another bit.ly/4ekv61E

#CSHRB co-authored study results highlight the important role of situational contexts in shaping drinking behavior in YAs & suggest potential targets for preventive intervention efforts aimed at reducing alcohol use bit.ly/4v8O6ps

#CSHRB's Myra Parker is receiving the Alumni of Impact Award from the UW School of Public Health! Congrats on this extremely well-deserved honor, Myra! bit.ly/4uvwCUo

#CSHRB-affiliated student Lucas Mejia working on a LAHRA study presented at the Undergraduate Research Symposium last week. His presentation: "Alcohol Use. Binge Drinking & Depression Patterns Among Latinx Adolescents & Young Adults Across Large Urban, Small Urban & Rural Contexts." Kudos Lucas!

#CSHRB co-authored study says prior experiences of discrimination were associated with more mental & physical health problems in all racial groups. Prior dislike of meeting people from other racial or ethnic groups was associated with more AUD symptoms in Black & White participants bit.ly/4fg9AfF

#CSHRB study featured in article written by the Population Reference Bureau about one of the papers drafted by Griselda Martinez, Katarina Guttmanova & the LAHRA team on Young Latinos in rural America www.prb.org/resource/lat...

#CSHRB co-authored study identified a specific domain of acculturative stress (pressure to acculturate) that intensifies the association between drinking to cope with depressive symptoms & more negative alcohol-related consequences among Hispanic/Latino American college students bit.ly/4uMWSt9

Co-authored by #CSHRB's Jason Kilmer & inspired by the 2002 report from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse & Alcoholism College Task Force, A Call to Action: Changing the Culture of Drinking at U.S. Colleges, this new resource builds on a legacy of culture change in higher ed bit.ly/4nrL7G5

#CSHRB co-authored study findings suggest that more severe & repeated sexual victimization experiences may motivate more frequent communication to prevent negative sexual outcomes, including nonconsensual sex, unwanted pregnancy & sexually transmitted infections bit.ly/4nqS8Hc

Data from the US Department of Health & Human Services shows drinking among 18-25 year-olds fell over the past 5 years. #ADAI's Mandy Owens has been watching this trend. "It looks like in 2021, about 51% of young adults reported any past month drinking, & in 2024 it was down to 47.5%" bit.ly/4tYVe7C

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Each week features a different theme: understanding mental illness, early support for youth, words matter, and supporting loved ones bit.ly/4tQdvE6

#ADAI Director and colleague Dr. Susan Ferguson is interviewed on NPR about the reclassification of medical cannabis by the federal government bit.ly/4cFg6L6

"In clinical settings, #CSHRB's lead author Dani Kang said, patients often struggle to recall or recognize patterns in their drinking. Real-time tracking could help people see those patterns more clearly and recognize when they may need help" bit.ly/3QAXpzE

People remember drinking - but not how they behaved. “We’re doing all this research to understand the etiology of AUD but we’re doing it with entirely retrospective assessments. We can’t use those reports to understand how AUD progresses & develops in daily lives,” noted #CSHRB lead author Dani King