Substance Abuse

Hybrid school-based programs for preventing substance abuse offer considerable public health potential.

George Mason University receives funding for Dr. Kenneth W. Griffin to test an evidence-based drug abuse prevention program using hybrid e-learning and in-class implementation in a national randomized control trial in dozens of U.S. high schools

Dr. Griffin is a Professor in the Department of Global & Community Health at George Mason University. His research focuses on health risk behaviors such as substance use and abuse (including prescription drugs and opioids), violence and aggression (including bullying and sexual violence) and related behaviors among children, adolescents, and young adults.

In 2019, Dr. Robert M. Weiler was appointed Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, College of Public Health at George Mason University. Dr. Weiler holds a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in health and safety education from Marshall University, a Master of Public Health, in community health education from the University of Tennessee, and a Doctor of Philosophy in education with a specialization in school health education from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.

Holly Matto, PhD, LCSW-C is a Professor in the Department of Social Work in the College of Public Health at Mason. Dr. Matto values interdisciplinary collaborations and has established research relationships with colleagues in social work, bioengineering, mathematics, visual and performing arts and others at Mason that have resulted in grant-funded projects.

Dr. Yiota Kitsantas, Professor of Biostatistics and Epidemiology in the Department of Health Administration and Policy, has extensive research experience in the fields of child and maternal health, especially around utilizing data mining techniques to address various public health issues in these populations.