Dr. Sarah Mattson
Sarah Mattson is a Professor in the Psychology Department at San Diego State University and a clinical neuropsychologist with expertise in behavioral teratology, specifically in the effects of heavy prenatal alcohol exposure. She is Director of Clinical Research at the Center for Behavioral Teratology and co-Director of the Center for Clinical and Cognitive Neuroscience. Dr. Mattson has been conducting neuropsychological and neuroimaging research, particularly on fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, for over 20 years. She has served on the National Advisory Council to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and on the editorial boards for high-impact journals. Dr. Mattson is a high-volume PI at SDSU and has had continuous NIH research funding since 1997, with total costs of over $10 million. She currently directs a federally funded research study of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders and a smaller, unfunded study of the neuropsychological and behavioral features of a rare genetic disorder, 11Q terminal deletion disorder (Jacobsen syndrome). She is the author of over 135 peer-reviewed publications and 20 book chapters.
Center for Behavioral Teratology (CBT)
The Center for Behavioral Teratology (CBT) is a University-recognized center at San Diego State University whose mission is to “understand, intervene, educate, and support families affected by developmental disorders.” Of primary interest to CBT faculty is how conditions that develop prenatally or in early childhood affect brain and behavior. A strong history of funding from NIH has supported research aimed at quantifying changes in cognition and behavior resulting from prenatal exposure to alcohol. Other research projects focus on other potentially teratogenic exposures (like marijuana, nicotine, and prescription medications), and other developmental conditions like 11q Terminal Deletion Disorder (Jacobsen syndrome) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The CBT mission has four main aims: to understand the effects of heavy prenatal alcohol exposure, to inform and develop interventions aimed at preventing or treating the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure, to educate families, professionals, and the community about FASD and other developmental conditions, and to support families affected by FASD and other developmental conditions.
Collaborative Initiative on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (CIFASD)
The CIFASD is a multi-site multidisciplinary research consortium dedicated to the study of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). The overarching goal of CIFASD is to inform and develop effective interventions for those affected by prenatal alcohol exposure through a focus on improving diagnosis, characterization of deficits or alterations due to prenatal alcohol exposure, and understanding mechanisms of alcohol’s teratogenic effects. Basic scientists and clinical researchers from around the world work together using novel and cutting edge techniques, share results, and educate the community. More information about CIFASD can be found on the CIFASD website.
Center for Clinical and Cognitive Neuroscience (CCN)
The goal of the Center for Clinical and Cognitive Neuroscience is to create a framework for San Diego State University faculty and students to study brain-based language and cognitive processing and its disorders, enhance teaching and research mentoring in clinical and cognitive neuroscience, and to expand SDSU’s capability to become a leader in an area that is rapidly developing and is essential to understanding human behavior. More information about the CCN can be found on the CCN website.