The Center for Adolescent Behavioral Health Research (CABHRe) is based at Boston Children’s Hospital, the pediatric research and teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. Preceded by the Center for Adolescent Substance Use Research (CeASAR, 1999-2020), CABHRe has an expanded focus on behavioral and mental health issues in adolescence in addition to substance use.
We seek to develop, test, and disseminate innovative and effective strategies pertaining to prevention, early detection, and intervention for leading behavioral and mental health concerns in adolescence and emerging adulthood.
New article: GROW Hopes for Life-Schools intervention
Dr. Sion Kim Harris co-authored a new paper on the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effects of the GROW intervention in Zambian youth. Read more in Frontiers...
New protocol manuscript: Cannabis Telehealth-Plus-mHealth Intervention
Dr. Lydia Shrier and the CABHRe team published an article describing the protocl for an ongoing RCT. Read more in JMIR...
Congratulations, COACH interns!
Our summer COACH interns finished their assignments this week and gave presentations on their experiences. Thanks for joining our team this summer!
New article: E-cigarette store exposure on school commute
Dr. Shivani Gaiha and Maddie O'Connell co-authored a recent article about adolescent exposure to e-cigarette retail stores on the way to and from school. Read more in JAH...
New articles: psychosis screening, trial attrition
Dr. Shrier researched adolescent psychosis risk screening and participant attrition in adolescent substance use trials. Read the articles here and here.
Welcome, Ava and Mikayla!
CABHRe's newest team members are Ava Earthman and Mikayla Maleh, who are joining as Clinical Research Assistants in May 2026. Welcome!
CABHRe Co-Director Dr. Lydia Shrier’s mentee, Dr. Carlos (Charlie) Melendez, presented at NIDA Clinical Trials Network (CTN) Meeting in April 2026
Dr. Melendez says: “I feel honored and excited to have presented the results and progress of our work, looking at substance use interventions for sexual and gender minority youth. A big thank you to NIDA CTN and SAHM’s Mentored Facilitated Award.”
Our Team
- Sion Kim Harris, PhD, CPH, Co-Director
- Lydia A. Shrier, MD, MPH, Co-Director
- Shivani Mathur Gaiha, PhD, Associate Investigator
- Madison (Maddie) O’Connell, MPH, Senior Clinical Research Coordinator
- Ava Earthman, BA, Clinical Research Assistant
- Mikayla Maleh, BA, Clinical Research Assistant
- Foday Nabbie, BS, Clinical Research Assistant
Learn more about our team…
Our Projects
Our Partners
See more of our funders…
- American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP): Pediatric Research in Office Settings (PROS) Network
- CHADIS, Inc.
- Pamela Burke, PhD, RN, PPCNP-BC, FSAHM, FAAN
- Aaron Hogue, PhD, Partnership to End Addiction
- Kristen Woodberry, MSW, PhD, Maine Medical Center
See more of our collaborators…
