Ph.D. in social psychology, University of California, Riverside; B.A. in psychology, University of California, Irvine
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More ExpertsJoan S. Tucker is a senior behavioral scientist at the RAND Corporation. She conducts research primarily in the areas of substance use and HIV/AIDS.
Tucker's work on substance use includes identifying developmental trajectories of substance use, risk factors for initiation and escalation, and short- and long-term consequences of use during adolescence and young adulthood. Her HIV-related research includes investigating the impact of mental health and substance use problems on adherence to antiretroviral medications; prevalence and correlates of risky sexual practices among HIV-positive adults with serious mental illness; and the interrelationships of substance use, violence, and HIV-related risk behavior among homeless adults and youth. Much of Tucker's recent research has focused on developing and evaluating brief interventions for substance use and sexual risk behaviors.
Tucker is an elected fellow of the Academy of Behavioral Medicine Research, Association for Psychological Science, Society of Behavioral Medicine, and Western Psychological Association. She received her Ph.D. in social psychology from the University of California, Riverside.
Interviews: ABC News Now; Healthy Life; MedicalResearch.com; United Press International; USA Today; Xinhua News Agency, China
