Jeffrey Derevensky, Ph.d. To Receive 2013 NCRG Scientific Achievement Award
Dr. Derevensky Recognized for Invaluable Contributions to the Field of Research on Youth and Adolescent Gambling
Sep 23, 2013
LAS VEGAS – The National Center for Responsible Gaming (NCRG) has announced that Jeffrey L. Derevensky, Ph.D., a professor in the School/Applied Child Psychology and a professor in the department of psychiatry at McGill University in Montreal, has been named the recipient of the 2013 Scientific Achievement Award.
With more than 150 articles published in peer-reviewed journals, Dr. Derevensky’s research has provided a greater understanding of how to address youth gambling in clinical settings, college gambling, and the development of prevention strategies to help limit youth engagement in gambling and other risky behaviors. The award will be presented at a luncheon today at The Sands Expo and Convention Center at The Venetian in Las Vegas, during the 14th annual NCRG Conference on Gambling and Addiction.
“Dr. Derevensky’s research and prevention work have made an incredible impact on how we understand and address youth gambling, both in the United States and around the world,” said Alan Feldman, chairman of the NCRG and executive vice president of global government and industry affairs at MGM Resorts International. “He is not only considered by his peers to be one of the most accomplished researchers of adolescent gambling, but he has taken it a step further by translating his research to promote public awareness of gambling disorders and responsible gaming for the general public.”
Dr. Derevensky’s leadership of the McGill International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High-risk Behaviors, which he co-founded, has played an integral role in understanding and addressing the issue of gambling problems among youth and adolescents. The center has been instrumental not only in researching the various behavioral and clinical implications of youth gambling, but also in developing prevention and treatment strategies that address youth gambling among community leaders and policy makers. Dr. Derevensky’s work at the center has helped to establish international collaborations that ultimately work to investigate youth gambling and translate the research into prevention tools for public use.
An important part of a researcher’s duty is to cultivate the next generation of scientists to continue exploring the field of study. Dr. Derevensky has dedicated a large part of his career to mentoring post-doctoral investigators and helping them to expand their scope of study, especially in of the area of youth gambling. Additionally, he has collaborated with investigators around the world to organize the International Think Tank on Youth Gambling Issues, which brings youth gambling to the forefront of public health issues, and has served as a member of the NCRG Scientific Advisory Board.
Dr. Derevensky’s research has been supported by various funding agencies including the Ontario Problem Gambling Research Centre, the Department of Justice in Victoria, Australia, and the Ministry of Health and Social Services in Quebec, Canada.
Previous recipients of the NCRG’s Scientific Achievement Award include leaders in this field, such as Alex Blaszczynski, Ph.D.; Renee Cunningham-Williams, Ph.D., M.P.E., L.C.S.W.; Robert Custer, M.D.; Jon E. Grant, J.D., M.D., M.P.H.; Rina Gupta, Ph.D.; David C. Hodgins, Ph.D.; Robert Ladouceur, Ph.D.; Nancy Petry, Ph.D.; Marc N. Potenza, M.D., Ph.D.; Howard J. Shaffer, Ph.D., C.A.S.; Wendy S. Slutske, Ph.D.; Randy Stinchfield, Ph.D., L.P.; Ken C. Winters, Ph.D.; and Suck Won Kim, M.D.
For NCRG Conference updates, including on-site reporting about the sessions and audio posts from leading researchers and industry representatives, visit the NCRG’s blog –Gambling Disorders 360°– and connect with the NCRG onTo obtain additional information on the NCRG’s conference, visit www.ncrg.org. To obtain press credentials for events related to the conference, or to arrange interviews with Dr. Derevensky or other conference participants, please contact Amy Kugler at 202-552-2689 or akugler@ncrg.org. While the conference is in progress Sept. 22 to 24, please contact Amy Kugler on-site at 225-910-2804.
