Ken C. Winters, Ph.D. Joins TRI as Collaborating Investigator
Noted researcher, author to collaborate on projects in adolescent substance abuse.

November 2004

A. Thomas McLellan, Ph.D. today announced the appointment of Ken Winters, Ph.D. as Collaborating Investigator at the Treatment Research Institute. Winters is a nationally recognized expert on adolescent substance abuse and will collaborate on several projects at TRI, including development of training resources on the use of brief intervention for drug abusing adolescents.

Dr. Winters is Director of the Center for Adolescent Substance Abuse Research and a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, positions he will retain during his affiliation with TRI. His work on adolescent brain development and substance abuse, and use of brief intervention, has been highly influential in the substance abuse field and complements TRI’s current work in adult treatment and youth prevention.

“Dr. Winters is one of the most highly respected and prolific researchers in the nation on adolescent substance abuse,” said McLellan who is Executive Director of TRI. “He has done pioneering work investigating the causes, effects and treatment of substance abuse among our nation’s youth. Our immediate goal is for Ken to help us disseminate these important research findings to the front line providers of treatment and to those who help design or who approve treatment strategies for these populations,” McLellan concluded.

Winters will write a series of special reports on issues in adolescent substance abuse for eventual dissemination to policy makers, treatment and prevention professionals and educators. Development of training and other technology transfer measures will be a second focus during his affiliation with TRI.

Dr. Winters received his B.A. from the University of Minnesota and a Ph.D. in Psychology (Clinical) from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. His research interests include problem gambling as well as adolescent drug abuse. He has published numerous research articles and book chapters in these areas, and has received several research grants from the National Institute of Health and various foundations and state agencies. He is an Associate Editor for the Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, and is on the Editorial Boards of the Journal of Child and Adolescent Substance Abuse, Journal of Gambling Studies, and Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment.

He has also served on several state and federal panels and committees related to drug abuse and pathological gambling, including the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Research Council's Committee on the Social and Economic Impact of Pathological Gambling. He is a consultant to many organizations, including the Hazelden Foundation, Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, World Health Organization, and the Mentor Foundation (an international drug abuse prevention organization).