Spotlight on Research (Archive)
 

Cathy J. Reback, Ph.D.

Cathy Reback received her Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of California, Santa Cruz in 1986.  Dr. Reback is both a researcher and community provider.  In addition to her work as a Research Sociologist and Principal Investigator with Friends Research Institute, she is an Associate Research Sociologist with UCLA Integrated Substance Abuse Programs (UCLA ISAP) and a Core Scientist with the UCLA Center for HIV Identification, Prevention and Treatment Services (UCLA CHIPTS). Additionally, in 1994, Dr. Reback founded the Prevention Division of the Van Ness Recovery House, which provides HIV and substance abuse prevention programs to out-of-treatment substance users, and continues to serve as its Director.

Currently, Dr. Reback is Principal Investigator on a NIDA-funded study to assess the efficacy of a contingency management for increasing prosocial and healthy behavior and reducing substance abuse among non-treatment seeking substance users, a California HIV/AIDS Research Programs (CHRP)-funded study evaluating a combined evidenced-based cognitive behavioral therapy and contingency management intervention for producing sustained HIV sexual and drug risk reductions among gay and bisexual methamphetamine users (www.friendslabrea.org), and a CDC-funded study evaluating the feasibility and efficacy of an information technology (IT) communication intervention for out-of-treatment MSM methamphetamine users.  Additionally, Dr. Reback is the Director of six county and city-funded HIV risk reduction programs for gay, bisexual and MSM substance users and high-risk transgender women.

Steven B. Carswell, Ph.D.

FRI is pleased to announce that Steven Carswell, Ph.D., a Research Scientist at the SRC, recently received a Pathway to Independence (PI) Award (K99/R00) from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which is the first award of this kind for FRI.  He will be studying risk factors for HIV among urban African American youth.  This is one of the most prestigious awards that a young investigator can obtain at this stage in the research career.  The primary, long-term, goal of the PI program is to increase and maintain a strong cohort of new and talented NIH-supported independent investigators. 

In addition, Dr. Carswell has recently published a book, which outlines findings from his research regarding delinquency among urban African American youth.  For a detailed view of the front and back cover of this volume, please click on the image below: 

If you are interested in purchasing this book, please click on the direct link to Amazon.com immediately below:
http://www.amazon.com/Delinquency-African-American-Criminal-Justice/dp/1593321953/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1200683578&sr=1-6

Donnie W. Watson, Ph.D.

Spring 2006
 

Donnie Watson, Ph.D., FRI Principal Investigator, received a five-year grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), entitled, “Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for South Africa.”  The overarching goal of this study is to develop and evaluate the efficacy of several clinical training/approaches for transferring evidenced-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques for the treatment of cocaine use disorders to Republic of South Africa (RSA) community treatment providers.   

In addition, Dr. Watson is currently PI for multi-site randomized trails testing the efficacy and safety of stimulant medications.  He is Principal Investigator for a NIDA grant to develop and implement HIV/substance use prevention to adolescent males and females in probation camps in LA County.  He is PI on an UARP grant to deliver HIV Prevention to male adolescents in LA County in LA County Probation Camps.  Moreover, as indicated above, he is involved in international work as PI for a NIDA trial to assess the efficacy of three methods to train clinicians in the Republic of South Africa to demonstrate adherence to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques.