David Strong, PhD

David Strong, PhD is a Professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, Division of Behavioral Medicine. He is the UCSD Program Director of the Joint Doctoral Program in Public Health and the Co-Director of the Health Behavior Track. As a licensed clinical psychologist, Dr. Strong has committed to the mission to improve health through preventive, epidemiological and clinical research. Dr. Strong have been actively involved in Centers of Excellence in Research and Intervention in Tobacco Control and in Health Behavior Change in Underserved and Vulnerable Populations. He has received broad training and have developed preventive and clinical research expertise in the evaluation of vulnerable populations with mental illness and addictions.

Tracks:   Health Behavior, Global Health

Dr. Strong has focused on developing brief motivational interventions to prevent tobacco-related disease by facilitating cessation among high-risk smokers with severe depressive disorders, military veterans with complex medical and mental health needs, and smokers with depression receiving services in primary care clinics. Dr. Strong conducts studies designed to identify individual differences and biobehavioral mechanisms that may interfere with efforts to change health behavior. Dr. Strong has focused research in the areas of Tobacco Use and Public Health, Health of Military Veterans, and Depression in Primary Care.  Also focusing in the area of Mental Health Risk Factros for Substance Use.  Dr. Strong has expertise in the application of psychometric methods based in item response theory to understanding key constructs in the study of health behavior.

• Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs
• Applied Public Health Statistics
• Mental Health

FPM 278 Scale Development (Fall)