National Institutes of Health
Baltimore, MD
Brenda Curtis, Ph.D., M.S.P.H.
Chief, Technology and Translational Research Unit
National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program at NIH
Central to Dr. Curtis' research trajectory is her exploration of digital marketing strategies tailored for research participant recruitment, always with a lens on ethical considerations, efficacy assessment, and regulatory compliance. She is at the forefront of discussions on the ethical dimensions of deploying generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) in human subjects research and ardently advocates for the role of welfare in research oversight. Through her translational research, Dr. Curtis delves deep into the confluence of social media and big data methodologies. This approach aims to craft, evaluate, and actualize technology-anchored tools that target substance use and its associated conditions. Her methodological rigor taps into the nuances of online information acquisition, culminating in interventions that are evidence-driven, inclusively designed, and centered on the end-user.
Dr. Curtis received a bachelor’s degree in biology and a master’s degree in public health from the University of Illinois. She then earned a doctorate in communication from the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to her current appointments, Dr. Curtis was an Assistant Professor of Psychology in Psychiatry, with a focus on Addictions, at the Perelman School of Medicine. Further enriching her profile is her fellowship at the Fordham University HIV and Drug Abuse Prevention Research Ethics Training Institute. Her academic contributions, as reflected in her publications, include pioneering AI-based analytical frameworks for discerning patterns in social media language as predictors of addiction treatment outcomes. Moreover, she has rendered insights into linguistic markers from social media postings that correlate with substance use disorder treatment trajectories. Dr. Curtis' foundational training in public health, coupled with her expertise in health communication, equips her with a unique vantage point.
Dr. Curtis is also a proud member of the PRIM&R Board.
Tuesday, December 5, 2023
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM ET
Wednesday, December 6, 2023
8:30 AM – 9:45 AM ET
Wednesday, December 6, 2023
1:45 PM – 2:45 PM ET