We’re proud to share that NIAAA has awarded our team an R01 to investigate whether family communication can help prevent adolescent alcohol use by focusing on social media influences. We are so thankful to our research team,, community partners, and the families who make this work possible!

Can family talks prevent teen drinking?

UTA researchers will study how parents and teens discuss alcohol use and social media influences

uta.edu

We are excited to share the launch of the “Connecting with Youth” resource hub, a project led by our community partner, Challenge of Tarrant County. Built with insights from our NIAAA funded work, it offers practical tools for talking with youth about substance use.

Challenge of Tarrant County

challengetc.org

We were honored to give a talk for the Lewisville ISD Counseling & Social Work Services Department. Our presentation focused on helping families navigate digital life, support youth well-being, and build healthy tech habits. Grateful for the thoughtful discussion with such dedicated professionals!

We are proud to share that our doctoral trainee, @allison-cross.bsky.social, will join Brown University this fall as a postdoc fellow in the Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies! It has been a privilege to mentor Allison and watch her grow as a scholar. Excited to see all she accomplishes next!

We had such a great time today hosting the Saddle Up Soda Bar where UTA students, faculty, and staff mixed up fun mocktails and “dirty sodas” while learning practical harm reduction strategies for those times they may choose to drink. Thanks to everyone who stopped by and made it such a fun event! 💙

Join us tomorrow for our Saddle Up Soda Bar to mix up fun mocktails and dirty sodas and learn practical tips and strategies for staying safe should you choose to drink alcohol. Experiment with flavors, sip mindfully, and leave feeling confident in your decisions!

Huge congrats to Allison Greene for successfully passing her dissertation defense! We’re so proud of the hard work and dedication she’s poured into her research. Her work was supported by an NIH F31, which makes this accomplishment even more impressive. Excited to see what’s next for Allison!

Two leaders. One critical mission. As co-directors of the STARR Lab, Drs. Lewis and Litt lead innovative research focused on adolescent and young adult alcohol use and related risk, with the goal of informing prevention, intervention, and real-world impact. Learn more: www.uta.edu/academics/sc...

UTA School of Social Work faculty and STARR Lab co-directors @melissa-lewis.bsky.social and @phdlitt.bsky.social published a study on a smartphone-based intervention to help young adults use protective behavioral strategies effectively and consistently when drinking or using cannabis. bit.ly/49JzmFL

Research from UTA School of Social Work, led by @melissa-lewis.bsky.social in collaboration with , @phdlitt.bsky.social, is featured in a @jsadjournal.bsky.social press release! This work shows smartphone-based, personalized interventions can help young adults reduce alcohol & cannabis use.

Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs@jsadjournal.bsky.social · 7mo ago

Smartphone-based interventions show promise for reducing alcohol and cannabis use: New research in @jsadjournal.bsky.social @uwpsychiatry.bsky.social @phdlitt.bsky.social @graups-phd.bsky.social @allison-cross.bsky.social @uwmedicine.bsky.social www.jsad.com/do/10.15288/...

Discover the STARR Lab (Studying Alcohol and Related Risks) at The University of Texas at Arlington, where we’re focused on understanding factors associated with risky behaviors among adolescents and young adults and developing evidence-based strategies to address these risks. tinyurl.com/2kadka8r