Research Overview

Sharon Levy's research focuses on development of drug use treatment strategies for adolescent patients that can be used in the ambulatory medical setting. In previous work she examined physicians' knowledge, practices and attitudes regarding drug testing of adolescent patients and the use of home drug testing by parents of adolescent children. One of her current projects is to determine the therapeutic efficacy of drug testing adolescent patients with identified drug problems. Another area of interest is the use of Buprenorphine as an ambulatory treatment for opioid-dependent adolescents.

Goals of Dr. Levy's work include:

  • Determine how drug testing is used in ambulatory medical practice
  • Determine the therapeutic efficacy of drug testing adolescent patients with problem drug use
  • Determine the effects of long term administration of Buprenorphine to adolescent patients with opiod dependence

 

Research Background

Dr. Levy, a board certified Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrician, is Director of the Adolescent Substance Use and Addiction Program at Boston Children’s Hospital and an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. She is a leader in her field, having served as chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Substance Abuse, regularly advising state and local agencies, and currently serving as President of the Association for Medical Education and Research in Substance Abuse. She co-leads multiple investigations with Dr. Weitzman including around adolescent substance use.

 

Education

Medical School

New York University School of Medicine
1992 New York NY

Internship

New York University School of Medicine/Bellvue Hospital
1993 New York NY

Residency

New York University School of Medicine
1996 New York NY

Fellowship

Boston Children's Hospital
1999 Boston MA

Publications

  1. Pediatric Subspecialist Alcohol Screening Rates and Concerns About Alcohol and Cannabis Use Among Their Adolescent Patients. J Adolesc Health. 2022 10; 71(4S):S34-S40. View Abstract
  2. Adolescent Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral to Treatment: Defining a Research Agenda. J Adolesc Health. 2022 10; 71(4S):S7-S8. View Abstract
  3. Adolescent Substance Use Disorders. NEJM Evid. 2022 Jun; 1(6):EVIDra2200051. View Abstract
  4. Validation of a single question for the assessment of past three-month alcohol consumption among adolescents. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2021 11 01; 228:109026. View Abstract
  5. Screening for Young Adults for Illicit Drug Use: A Good Idea Although Evidence Is Lacking. Pediatrics. 2021 01; 147(Suppl 2):S259-S261. View Abstract
  6. Evidence-Based Treatment of Young Adults With Substance Use Disorders. Pediatrics. 2021 01; 147(Suppl 2):S204-S214. View Abstract
  7. Moving to a Medical Model of Substance Use Treatment of Youth. Pediatrics. 2021 01; 147(Suppl 2):S262-S264. View Abstract
  8. Trends in Substance Nonuse by High School Seniors: 1975-2018. Pediatrics. 2020 12; 146(6). View Abstract
  9. Safety Protocols for Adolescent Substance Use Research in Clinical Settings. J Adolesc Health. 2021 05; 68(5):999-1005. View Abstract
  10. The role of addiction-medicine specialists in the global fight against addiction. Nat Med. 2020 04; 26(4):456. View Abstract
  11. Youth and the Opioid Epidemic. Pediatrics. 2019 02; 143(2). View Abstract
  12. Trends in Abstaining From Substance Use in Adolescents: 1975-2014. Pediatrics. 2018 08; 142(2). View Abstract
  13. Substance Use Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment. Pediatrics. 2016 Jul; 138(1). View Abstract
  14. Substance Abuse, General Principles. Pediatr Rev. 2015 Dec; 36(12):535-44. View Abstract
  15. Results of a statewide survey of adolescent substance use screening rates and practices in primary care. Subst Abus. 2012; 33(4):321-6. View Abstract
  16. Substance use screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment for pediatricians. Pediatrics. 2011 Nov; 128(5):e1330-40. View Abstract
  17. Acceptability of drug testing in an outpatient substance abuse program for adolescents. J Adolesc Health. 2011 Mar; 48(3):229-33. View Abstract
  18. Screening adolescents for substance use-related high-risk sexual behaviors. J Adolesc Health. 2009 Nov; 45(5):473-7. View Abstract
  19. Screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment for adolescents. J Addict Med. 2008; 2(4):215-21. View Abstract
  20. Screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment for adolescents: companion clinical case. J Addict Med. 2008; 2(4):222-6. View Abstract
  21. The national debate on drug testing in schools. J Adolesc Health. 2007 Nov; 41(5):419-20. View Abstract
  22. Results of random drug testing in an adolescent substance abuse program. Pediatrics. 2007 Apr; 119(4):e843-8. View Abstract
  23. Buprenorphine replacement therapy for adolescents with opioid dependence: early experience from a children's hospital-based outpatient treatment program. J Adolesc Health. 2007 May; 40(5):477-82. View Abstract
  24. Is this urine really negative? A systematic review of tampering methods in urine drug screening and testing. J Subst Abuse Treat. 2007 Jul; 33(1):33-42. View Abstract
  25. Drug testing of adolescents in general medical clinics, in school and at home: physician attitudes and practices. J Adolesc Health. 2006 Apr; 38(4):336-42. View Abstract
  26. Drug testing of adolescents in ambulatory medicine: physician practices and knowledge. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2006 Feb; 160(2):146-50. View Abstract
  27. Drug testing in generla medical clinics, in school adn at home: Self reported physician practices, agreement with use of testing and testing recommendations. J Adolesc Health. 2006. View Abstract
  28. Drug testin of adolescents in ambularoty medicine: Physician practice and knowledge. Arch Pediatr Adolesce Med. 2006. View Abstract
  29. Laboratory testing of substances of abuse. Neintstein. Adolescent Health Care: A Practical Guide. 2006; chapter 71. View Abstract
  30. Psychoactive substances of abuse used by adolescents. Neinstein. Adolescent Health Care, A Practical Guide. 2006. View Abstract
  31. Office based management of adolescent substance use. Neinstein. Adolescent Health Care: A Practical Guide. 2006; chapter 73. View Abstract
  32. Motivational interviewing for adolescent substance use: a pilot study. J Adolesc Health. 2005 Aug; 37(2):167-9. View Abstract
  33. Teaching paediatric residents about learning disorders: use of standardised case discussion versus multimedia computer tutorial. Med Educ. 2005 Aug; 39(8):797-806. View Abstract
  34. Test-retest reliability of adolescents' self-report of substance use. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2004 Aug; 28(8):1236-41. View Abstract
  35. A review of Internet-based home drug-testing products for parents. Pediatrics. 2004 Apr; 113(4):720-6. View Abstract
  36. Office management of substance abuse. Adolescent Health Update. 2003; 15(3). View Abstract
  37. Adolescent substance use: prevention and management by primary care clinicians. J Clin Outcomes Manage. 2003; 10(3):166-74. View Abstract
  38. Office-based intervention for adolescent substance abuse. Pediatr Clin North Am. 2002 Apr; 49(2):329-43. View Abstract
  39. Save time. 2002. View Abstract
  40. Advocating Success for Kids: An Advocacy and assessment program for children with school and behavioral problems. Pediatric Ambulatory Society Meeting, poster presentation. 2001. View Abstract
  41. Motivational Interviewing. 2001. View Abstract
  42. More than just an accident. 2001. View Abstract
  43. The Tale of Tommy's Testing: Weaving New Knowledge into an Old Shell. Slice of Life/Computers in Health Educations Symposium, platform presentation. 2000. View Abstract
  44. The tale of Tommy's testing. 2000. View Abstract
  45. A Right to Learn. 1999. View Abstract
  46. Developmental Pediatrics. 1999. View Abstract
  47. Intern advocacy teaching training manual. 1998. View Abstract
  48. Pediatric physical exam. 1997. View Abstract
  49. NYU Medical Center Teaching Retreat Manual. 1997. View Abstract
  50. Drug use among Sydney teenagers in 1985 and 1986. Community Health Stud. 1989; 13(2):161-9. View Abstract

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