Joseph Westermeyer, M.D. Ph.D., M.P.H., has been named by the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) as this year's recipient of the R. Brinkley Smithers Distinguished Scientist Award.
Dr. Westermeyer is a VA HSR&D-funded researcher with the Center for Chronic Disease Outcomes Research at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System, and has served as a VA HSR&D reviewer and panel chair. He is being recognized for his continuing support of ASAM and his crucial role in guiding alcohol research in America.
Dr. Westermeyer maintains an active research program, focusing on cross-cultural mental health issues. He has published over 100 articles, and he currentlyis on the editorial boards of several journals, including the American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, American Indian Alaska Native Mental Health Research, and World Cultural Psychiatry Research Review.
Dr. Westermeyer earned his Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Minnesota, and completed a residency in psychiatry and returned to the University of Minnesota, where he earned a Master of Public Health degree and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Psychiatry and Anthropology. He is also a Professor of Psychiatry and Adjunct Professor of Anthropology at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Dr. and a staff psychiatrist and Medical Director of the Addictive Disorders Service at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center.
ASAM is a professional society representing over 3,000 physicians dedicated to increasing access and improving quality of addiction treatment, educating physicians and the public, supporting research and prevention, and promoting the appropriate role of physicians in the care of patients with addictions. The R. Brinkley Smithers and Distinguished Scientist Award and Lecture was established by ASAM in 1995, and recognizes and an individual who has made highly meritorious contributions in advancing the scientific understanding of alcoholism, its prevention and treatment.