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Background

Miesha Marzell completed her MSW at the University of Southern California and her PhD in biobehavioral health at the Pennsylvania State University. Prior to joining ºÚÁÏÊÓƵ, Marzell was a post-doctoral fellow at the University of California, Berkeley, School of Public Health and Prevention Research Center and was subsequently an assistant professor in the Department of Community and Behavioral Health at the University of Iowa College of Public Health.

As a researcher, she is interested in the etiology and prevention of high-risk substance use and the improvement of mental health among racial/ethnic minority youth, college students and athletic populations. Marzell's research interests also extend to the environmental and policy factors that can influence behavior and promote healthy lifestyles. She wants to translate scientific evidence into recommendations for substance abuse prevention, public policy and clinical practice.

Current projects include:

• Investigating the relationship between perceived racial/ethnic microaggressions and high-risk substance use among college students
• Identifying possible links between sport-related injuries, mental health status and substance use among athletes
• Understanding and addressing the impact of marijuana policies on youth and racial/ethnic minorities

Education

• PhD, Pennsylvania State University
• MSW, University of Southern California
• BA, Georgetown University

Research Interests

• Substance abuse prevention among racial/ethnic minorities
• Athlete substance use
• mental health and wellness
• Marijuana policy reform
• Community-based interventions
• Interdisciplinary approaches to social and behavioral health science research