Mary Velasquez 2012
Mary Velasquez

Mary M. Velasquez, social work professor in The University of Texas at Austin and director of the Health Behavior Research and Training Institute, has been selected to receive the Association for Medical Education and Research in Substance Abuse (AMERSA) 2016 Betty Ford Award.

This prestigious award is given annually to an individual who has had a significant impact on the field of alcohol and drug use, particularly with regards to women’s issues, substance abuse education and recovery.

AMERSA is recognizing Velasquez’s more than 20 years of research focusing on areas of high importance for women. With funding from the National Institutes of Health and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Velasquez has developed and tested health interventions to target alcohol, cocaine, smoking, and other substances of abuse; promote prenatal health; and prevent sexually transmitted infections and alcohol-exposed pregnancies. Read more about Velasquez’s research.

Velasquez will receive the award and deliver a plenary presentation at AMERSA’s annual meeting, November 5, 2016, in Washington, D.C.

AMERSA is a national professional organization whose mission is to improve health and well-being through interdisciplinary leadership in substance use education, research, clinical care and policy. A leader in substance abuse medical education, AMERSA works to improve education and clinical practice in the identification and management of substance-related problems by promoting leadership, mentorship and collaboration among multiple healthcare professions including physicians, nurses, social workers, psychologists, dentists, pharmacists, and other health professionals.