Research Society on Alcohol Presents PSYC Associate Professor Ethan Mereish with Early Career Investigator Award

One of the Department of Psychology’s (PSYC) newest faculty members, Associate Professor Ethan Mereish, has been awarded the 36th Annual Early Career Investigator Award by the Research Society on Alcohol (RSA), the world’s largest scientific research organization devoted to understanding the causes and complications of alcohol use and alcohol-related problems, and to promoting effective strategies for prevention, intervention, and sustained behavior change.

The RSA’s Early Career Investigator Award recipient must be a member of the RSA themselves, and be nominated by a fellow RSA member. Mereish, an RSA member since 2015, was nominated by two RSA members, Dr. Alexis Kuerbis of Hunter College, and Drs. Robert Miranda and Hayley Treloar Padovano of Brown University. 

“I am honored, thrilled, and grateful to receive this prestigious award,” said Mereish, who will receive a plaque, cash award, and lead a presentation on his related work at the RSA’s 2024 annual meeting. “I am honored for being recognized for my work in the alcohol field and appreciate that other alcohol researchers see my potential and commitment to the field.”

Mereish—who completed his doctoral training at Boston College, a clinical psychology residency at Harvard Medical School, and a postdoctoral research fellowship at Brown University—made the move from American University to UMD just before the 2022-2023 school year, bringing with him The Lavender Lab. The Lavender Lab conducts NIH-funded research on the psychological, social, and cultural determinants of suicide, substance use, and other health outcomes for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). 

“We're incredibly proud to have Ethan as part of our team. His work with underserved communities is a perfect example of how psychology can have a meaningful impact on the lives of individuals,” said Michael Dougherty, PSYC Professor and Chair. “This award is symbolic of his commitment to doing science that has the sort of societal impact that the University of Maryland so highly values.”

Currently, Mereish is leading a study on “Intersectional Minority Stress, Structural Oppression, and Alcohol Use and Misuse among Sexual and Gender Minority Adolescents of Color.” The five-year, National Institutes of Health- and National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism-funded study will more specifically look at how discrimination, structural racism, heterosexism, cissexism and certain risk factors and protective measures interact and influence sexual and gender minority adolescents’ use of alcohol and other drugs over the course of 2.5 years. 

“The award is motivating for me to keep working on addressing disparities in alcohol use and hazardous drinking among minoritized people, including LGBTQ+ and BIPOC youth and young adults,” Mereish added. 

Published on Tue, Mar 28, 2023 - 10:55AM