Research

Current Projects

Project PATH is an NIH-funded research study conducted through the University of North Texas Health Science Center. Project PATH aims to learn more about how young people think and engage with others throughout the day, and how influences, situations and timing may affect their decisions. We also want to learn what may be different for a high school student, someone of college age, and a person who is slightly older, to see how factors and motivations may change over time or according to different stages of maturity

Project PRISM is an NIH-funded research study comprised of two phases. Phase 1 is aimed at exploring parent communication about health and risk behaviors in adolescents and young adults, including social networking use through a series of focus groups. Phase 2 will use the insights gained from the first phase to inform the content for an interactive web-based and text messaging program for parents and their teens ages 15-20 that involves 1 and 6-month follow-ups. The results of the second phase will help evaluate whether the interactive web-based and text messaging program for parents reduces health risk behaviors and risky social media use. As required, we have registered Project PRISM with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04333966).

The Freshman Experience Project is an NIH-funded research study comprised of two phases. Phase 1 is aimed at learning more about the experiences, peer influences, attitudes, opinions, and personal goals among incoming North Texas-area college students through a series of focus groups. Phase 2 will use the insights gained from the first phase to inform the content for a text-messaging intervention among first year college student during the first six weeks of school that involves follow-ups throughout the entire first year of college in order to evaluate whether these students’ behaviors have changed as a result of the intervention. As required, we have registered The Freshman Experience Project with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03750838).

Project EQUIP is a NIH-funded research study comprised of two phases. Phase 1 is aimed at exploring motives behind alcohol and marijuana protective behavioral strategy use and non-use in young adults through a series of focus groups and cognitive interviews. Phase 2 will use the insights gained from the first phase to create the content for an interactive text messaging program for young adults ages 18-24. The results of the second phase will help evaluate whether the interactive text messaging program increases effective protective behavioral strategy use on marijuana and alcohol use among young adults. As required, we have registered Project EQUIP with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04978129).