2020 Award Recipients for the SoAP

2020 Award Recipients for the SoAP!

Sherry McKee, Chair Fellows and Awards Committee

Members: Sara Jo Nixon & Carlos DiClemente

The SoAP Fellows and Awards Committee is pleased to announce the following 2020 Award Recipients.

Sandra Brown: Distinguished Scientific Contributions to the Application of Psychology

Dr. Brown is the richly deserving 2020 recipient of the Distinguished Scientific Contributions to the Application of Psychology award. Dr. Brown is a Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and Psychology and the Vice Chancellor of Research at the University of California, San Diego. Dr. Brown has been an exceptional researcher in our field, with a 36-year history of NIAAA funding focused primarily on alcohol and youth, examining etiological factors, developmental trajectories, interventions, and outcomes. She has led landmark longitudinal examinations focused on the trajectories of youth substance involvement, clinical trials to improve our array of tools to prevent and mitigate these problems, and neurocognitive consequences of early alcohol and drug involvement. Most recently, Dr. Brown’s work has led to landmark multisite longitudinal studies of youth (NCANDA, ABCD) that will provide critical information about how substance use can shape brain development and function into adulthood. Additionally, an impressive publication record, mentorship of junior colleagues, and exemplary service to the field all contribute to Dr. Brown’s exceptional scientific contributions to the application of psychology.

Kirk Bowden: Distinguished Career Contributions to Public Interest

Dr. Bowden is the 2020 recipient of the award for Distinguished Career Contributions to Public Interest. Dr. Bowden is the Chair of Addiction and Substance Use Disorders Program & Behavioral Health Services at Rio Salado College. Dr. Bowden is an exceptionally qualified candidate for this award based on his more than thirty years of distinguished service as an addiction professional. He has advanced public interests in addiction science through his work as a nationally recognized addiction educator and public policy leader. Dr. Bowden has been very involved in federal government public policy with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA), the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), and the Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC). He regularly advocates with state and federal leaders on the importance of applying scientific methods and evidence-based research in developing substance use and addiction public policy, making him an ideal recipient of this award.

Mark Prince: Distinguished Scientific Early Career Contributions

Dr. Prince is the 2020 recipient of the award for Distinguished Scientific Early Career Contributions. Dr. Prince received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Syracuse in 2014. He completed an NIAAA-sponsored T32 Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the University of Buffalo and is currently an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Colorado State University. Dr. Prince’s research is focused on the treatment of substance misuse (primarily alcohol and cannabis) using brief technology-based interventions, the measurement of substance misuse, and advanced statistical analyses of complex addictions data. Dr. Prince is a highly productive young scientist, with over 50 peer-reviewed publications and demonstrated success in obtaining extramural grants. Dr. Prince is a distinguished early career scientist who is richly deserving of this award.

David Sheff: Outstanding Contributions to Advancing the Understanding of Addictions

Mr. Sheff is the 2020 recipient of the award for Outstanding Contributions to Advancing the Understanding of Addictions. David Sheff is the author of Beautiful Boy: A Father’s Journey Through His Son’s Addiction, a number-one New York Times bestseller. Mr. Sheff is on the advisory boards of the Jed and Clinton Health Matters Campus Program, designed to help colleges and universities promote emotional wellbeing and mental health programming, reduce substance abuse and prevent suicide among their students. He recently launched the Beautiful Boy Fund, devoted to making quality, evidence-based treatment available to people who need it and identifying and supporting research to further the field of addiction medicine. For this award, Mr. Sheff is an exceptional candidate.