Assistant Professor
Department of Psychiatry
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
Biographical Sketch
Dr. Dawes is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse within in the Department of Psychiatry at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA). He is board-certified in Adult Psychiatry, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and Addiction Psychiatry. He completed his medical training at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His training also included a post-doctoral research fellowship at the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, in Pittsburgh, PA. This fellowship was in the area of bio-behavioral risk factors for adolescent substance abuse, with a focus on identifying pubertal risk factors and their influence on substance use onset. Later, Dr. Dawes received a career development award from the National Institute on Drug Abuse to continue this research. Dr. Dawes joined the faculty at Wake Forest University Health Sciences in Winston-Salem, NC where he conducted translational research in antecedents and consequences of adolescent substance abuse. In 2007, Dr. Dawes joined the faculty of the Department of Psychiatry at UTHSCSA.
Dr. Dawes' current research interests remain in adolescent substance abuse, with emphasis on understanding how impulsivity and bio-behavioral risk factors influence the progression of adolescent substance use. His current research funding includes a grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, entitled "Impulsivity and Abstinence Outcomes in Cannabis-Using Adolescents." Additionally, he is co-investigator on a study from the National Institute of Mental Health that examines the relationships among impulse control, substance abuse, and suicidal behavior during adolescent development. Future research plans include preventive and treatment interventions in substance-abusing adolescents.
In addition to his interests in research, Dr. Dawes is committed to residency education. During his service at Wake Forest University Health Sciences, he received the Excellence in Teaching Award for his work in the Section of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Dr. Dawes' commitment to education has been recognized at a national level. As a result, he and other experts in adolescent substance abuse have produced a video curriculum on adolescent substance abuse for practitioners, residents, and other health professionals; the curriculum is sponsored by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Presently, Dr. Dawes instructs residents and fellows about adolescent substance abuse assessment and treatment through lectures and seminars. He is also leading Departmental efforts for accreditation for an Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship and will be the Director when this fellowship is approved.
Research Interests
- Prospective Study of Adolescent Substance Use Involvement
- Characterization of Bio-behavioral Risk Factors of Adolescent Substance Use Involvement
- Understanding Behavioral Mechanisms that Occur with Adolescent Cannabis Withdrawal
- Bio-behavioral Predictors of Lapse and Relapse to Drug Use
- Prevention and Treatment of Adolescent Substance Use, Particularly for Cannabis and Alcohol Use Disorders
- Combining Psychosocial and Medication Approaches for the Treatment of Adolescent Substance Abuse
- Education of the Next Generation of Addiction Psychiatrists
Education
| 1982 | B.A. | Zoology/Chemistry | University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill |
| 1986 | M.D. | Medicine | University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill |
| 1990 | Residency | Adult Psychiatry | Medical College of Georgia |
| 1994 | Residency | Child/Adolescent Psychiatry | Harvard Children's Hospital |
| 1997 | Post Doc | Adolescent Substance Use | University of Pittsburgh Medical Center |
| 2000 | Fellowship | Addiction Psychiatry | St. Francis Medical Center - Pittsburgh |
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