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Brooke S.G. Molina, PhD

  • Professor of Psychiatry, Psychology, Pediatrics, and Clinical and Translational Science
  • Director, Youth and Family Research Program

Brooke S. G. Molina, PhD is Professor of Psychiatry, Psychology, Pediatrics, Clinical & Translational Science at the University of Pittsburgh, and Director of the Youth and Family Research Program.  She is also a licensed clinical psychologist.  

Dr. Molina researches the etiology, course, and treatment of alcohol and drug abuse and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).  Her research program, federally funded for over two decades, includes longitudinal studies of children and adolescents followed into adulthood, neuroimaging studies of brain structure and function in relation to long-term symptom course, treatment studies of behavioral and pharmacologic approaches, and development of primary-care based strategies for management of ADHD.  Dr. Molina is an active research mentor including Co-Director of the Developmental Alcohol Research Training (DART) T32 program.  She is a member of multiple peer-reviewed journal editorial boards and has reviewed extensively for the NIH and other national and international grant-funding agencies.  

Dr. Molina earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Kent State University, Master of Arts and PhD in Clinical Psychology from Arizona State University, and she trained as a postdoctoral scholar in the University of Pittsburgh Alcohol Research Training Program before joining the faculty at the University of Pittsburgh.

Education & Training

  • BA, Psychology, Kent State University, 1986
  • MA, Clinical Psychology, Arizona State University, 1989
  • PhD, Clinical Psychology, Arizona State University, 1993
  • Internship in Clinical Psychology, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, 1992-1993
  • Postdoctoral Fellow, Alcohol Research Training Program, University of Pittsburgh, 1993-1995

Selected Publications

Howard, A.L., Kennedy, T.M., Macdonald, E.P., Mitchell, J.T., Sibley, M.H., Roy, A., Arnold, L.E., Epstein, J. N., Hinshaw, S.P., Hoza, B., Stehli, A., Swanson, J.M., & Molina, B.S.G. (in press, 6/17/19). Depression and ADHD-related risk for substance use in adolescence and early adulthood: Concurrent and prospective associations in the MTA. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology. NIHMSID 1533708

Kennedy, T.M., Howard, A.L., Mitchell, J.T., Hoza, B., Arnold, L.E., Hechtman, L.T., Swanson, J.M., Stehli, A., & Molina, B.S.G. (in press).  Adult substance use as a function of growth in peer use across adolescence and young adulthood in the context of ADHD:  Findings from the MTA.  Addictive Behaviors, 99. PMCID: PMCID: PMC6791771

Pedersen, S.L., King, K.M., Fournier, J.C., Louie, K.T., & Molina, B.S.G. (in press).  Momentary fluctuations in impulsivity domains: Associations with a history of childhood ADHD, heavy alcohol use, and alcohol problems.  Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 205. PMCID: PMC Journal - In Process

Roy, A., Garner, A.A., Epstein, J.N., Hoza, B., Nichols, J.Q., Molina, B.S.G., Swanson, J.M., Arnold, L.E., & Hechtman, L. (in press, 2019).  Effects of childhood and adult persistent ADHD on risk of motor vehicle crashes:  Results from the MTA.  Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.  PMCID:  PMC Journal – In Process

Pelham, W.E., III, Page, T.F., Altszuler, A.R., Gnagy, E.M., Molina, B.S.G., & Pelham, W.E., Jr.  (2020).  The long-term financial outcome of children diagnosed with ADHD.  Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 88(2), 160-171.  PMCID: PMC6940517

Grondhuis, S. N., Farmer, C. A., Arnold, L. E., Gadow, K. D., Findling, R. L., Molina, B. S. G., Kolko, D.J., Buchan-Page, K.A., Rice, R.R., Butter, E., & Aman, M. G. (2020). Standardized observation analogue procedure in the Treatment of Severe Childhood Aggression (TOSCA) Study. Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology, 30(1). PMCID: PMC Journal - In Process

Babinski, D.E., Mazzant, J.R., Merrill, B.M., Waschbusch, D.A., Sibley, M.H., Gnagy, E.M., Molina, BS.G., & Pelham, W.E., Jr. (in press, Oct 2019).  Lifetime caregiver strain among mothers of adolescents and young adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.  Journal of Family Psychology.  PMCID: PMC Journal - In Process

Howard, A. L., Kennedy, T. M., Mitchell, J. T., Sibley, M. H., Hinshaw, S. P., Arnold, L. E., Roy, A., Stehli, A., Swanson, J. M., & Molina, B. S. G. (in press, 11/8/19). Early substance use in the pathway from childhood ADHD to young adult substance use: Evidence of statistical mediation and substance specificity. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors.  PMCID: PMC Journal - In Process

*Engster, S.A., Molina, B.S.G., Bogen, D.L. (2020).  Adolescent and parent management of controlled prescription medications.  Substance Use and Misuse, 54(14), 2264-2272. PMCID: PMC7007806

Greenhill, L.L., Swanson, J.M., Hechtman, L., Waxmonsky, J., Arnold, L.E., Molina, B.S.G., Hinshaw, S.P., Jensen, P.S., Abikoff, H.B., Wigal, T., Stehli, A., Howard, A., Hermanussen, M., Hanc, T., for the MTA Cooperative Group.  (in press, 2020).  Trajectories of growth associated with long-term stimulant medication in the Multimodal Treatment Study of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.  Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.  PMCID in progress.

Halvorson, M.A., Feil, M.C., Pedersen, S.L., Lengua, L.J., Molina, B.S.G., & King, K.M. (in press, 4/30/20), Impulsive states and impulsive traits: A study of the multilevel factor structure and validity of a multifaceted measure of impulsive states.  Assessment.

Research Grants

NIH R01DA039881, Pathways to adult substance use and abuse from childhood ADHD in the MTA (PI), 2015-2020, NIDA, $989,280.

NIH U01DA040213, Primary care prevention of stimulant diversion by high school students with ADHD (PI), 2015-2021, NIDA, $1,949,080.

NIH U01DA040213-05S1, Prevention of opioid diversion by young adult patients:  Primary and specialty care practices and perspectives (PI), 2019-2021, NIDA, $221,630.

NIH R37AA011873; R56AA011893, Development of alcohol use and abuse in ADHD adults, MERIT Award (PI), 2008-2021, NIAAA, $3,283,483 + ~$2,500,000 + (R56) $63,579.

NIH R01MH101096, Neural correlates of adult outcomes of childhood ADHD: Affect, reward and control (MPI with Cecile Ladouceur), 2014-2021, NIMH, $2,125,000.

NIH AA026249, Positive and negative reinforcement pathways underlying sleep and alcohol use associations (Co-I, 5% effort, PI: Pedersen & Hasler), 2018-2023, NIAAA, $1,704,231.

NIH T32AA007453, Alcohol Research Training:  Developmental Approaches to Risk, Resilience, and Intervention (MPI: Richardson, Molina), 2017-2022, NIAAA, $1,042,144.