Elizabeth Ozer, PhD

Elizabeth Ozer is Professor of Pediatrics & Associate Vice Provost, Faculty Equity, Office of Diversity and Outreach, at the University of California, SF (UCSF). She also serves as Director of Fellows Research Training in Adolescent & Young Adult Medicine. Dr. Ozer is a psychologist whose research has focused primarily on the health of adolescents, young adults, and women. She has served as either Principal Investigator or Co-Investigator of multiple U.S. federally funded grants focused on decreasing adolescent risky behavior through improving the care provided by the health care system and the primary care provider. This research has tested models for increasing the screening and counseling of adolescents in primary care as well as evaluated the effect of provider screening and counseling on adolescent behavior across multiple health risk areas. Recent Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and National Science Foundation funded research has explored ways that technology can be incorporated into successful models of prevention for teenagers, with a current transdisciplinary collaboration with computer scientists to design, implement, and investigate a self-adaptive personalized behavior change system for adolescent preventive health (with a focus on reducing adolescent alcohol use).

In addition to intervention research, Dr. Ozer and colleagues have examined ethnic/racial disparities in the delivery of preventive services, rates of screening for depression in primary care, and trends in depression, nutrition, and physical activity screening. Extending beyond the adolescent age-group, recent work has emphasized young adult preventive health care. Dr. Ozer is currently PI of a Maternal & Child Health (MCHB) funded Adolescent/Young Adult Health Network with a focus on developing a national transdisciplinary research agenda for adolescent and young adult health and to translate research into practice.

Dr. Ozer is Chair of the University of California System-Wide Committee on the Status of Women; and a member of the UCSF Advisory Committee on the Status of Women and the Campus Council on Faculty Life. In 2007, she served as a visiting professor at the University of Melbourne.
Education
2018 - Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Champion Training, University of California
PhD, 1992 - Couseling and Health Psychology, Stanford University
MA, 1988 - Psychology, Stanford University
BA, 1982 - Psychology, University of Michigan
Websites

  1. Sinha A, Rowe J, Ozer E. Narrative Play-Promoting Adolescent Health With Interactive Games. JAMA 2024. PMID: 38602666


  2. Giovanelli A, Rowe J, Taylor M, Berna M, Tebb KP, Penilla C, Pugatch M, Lester J, Ozer EM. Supporting Adolescent Engagement with Artificial Intelligence-Driven Digital Health Behavior Change Interventions. Journal of medical Internet research 2023. PMID: 37223987


  3. Ozer EM. Albert Bandura (1925-2021). 2022. PMID: 35238591


  4. Giovanelli A, Ozer EJ, Adams SH, Park MJ, Ozer EM. Adolescent Technology-use Rules and Sleep in a Large Representative Sample. 2022. PMID: 34991931


  5. Mott M, Mott B, Rowe J, Ozer E, Giovanelli A, Berna M, Pugatch M, Tebb K, Penilla C, Lester J. "What's Important to You, Max?": The Influence of Goals on Engagement in an Interactive Narrative for Adolescent Health Behavior Change. Interactive storytelling : 14th International Conference on Interactive Digital Storytelling, ICIDS 2021, Tallinn, Estonia, December 7-10, 2021, Proceedings. Joint International Conference on Interactive Digital Storytelling (14th : 202... 2021. PMID: 36354310


  6. Giovanelli A, Adams SH, Jane Park M, Ozer EM. Delivering Anticipatory Guidance About Technology Use to Adolescents in Primary Care: Rates in a Representative California Sample. The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine 2021. PMID: 34301469


  7. Walsh J, Potter M, Ozer E, Gildengorin G, Dass N, Green L. Evaluating the sustainability of a cancer screening intervention through a PRISM: The PreView experience. Preventive medicine reports 2021. PMID: 34189023


  8. Vance SR, Dentoni-Lasofsky B, Ozer E, Deutsch MB, Meyers MJ, Buckelew SM. Using Standardized Patients to Augment Communication Skills and Self-Efficacy in Caring for Transgender Youth. Academic pediatrics 2021. PMID: 34022426


  9. Pfaff N, DaSilva A, Ozer E, Vemula Kaiser S. Adolescent Risk Behavior Screening and Interventions in Hospital Settings: A Scoping Review. Pediatrics 2021. PMID: 33785635


  10. Tebb KP, Rodriguez F, Pollack LM, Adams S, Rico R, Renteria R, Trieu SL, Hwang L, Brindis CD, Ozer E, Puffer M. Improving contraceptive use among Latina adolescents: A cluster-randomized controlled trial evaluating an mHealth application, Health-E You/Salud iTu. Contraception 2021. PMID: 33744300


  11. Richardson L, Parker EO, Zhou C, Kientz J, Ozer E, McCarty C. Electronic Health Risk Behavior Screening With Integrated Feedback Among Adolescents in Primary Care: Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of medical Internet research 2021. PMID: 33709942


  12. Wong CA, Madanay F, Ozer EM, Harris SK, Moore M, Master SO, Moreno M, Weitzman ER. Digital Health Technology to Enhance Adolescent and Young Adult Clinical Preventive Services: Affordances and Challenges. The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine 2020. PMID: 32718511


  13. Ozer EM, Rowe J, Tebb KP, Berna M, Penilla C, Giovanelli A, Jasik C, Lester JC. Fostering Engagement in Health Behavior Change: Iterative Development of an Interactive Narrative Environment to Enhance Adolescent Preventive Health Services. The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine 2020. PMID: 32718513


  14. Ozer EM, Lester JC. Innovative Digital Technologies to Improve Adolescent and Young Adult Health. The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine 2020. PMID: 32718512


  15. Giovanelli A, Ozer EM, Dahl RE. Leveraging Technology to Improve Health in Adolescence: A Developmental Science Perspective. The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine 2020. PMID: 32718517


  16. Vance SR, Buckelew SM, Dentoni-Lasofsky B, Ozer E, Deutsch MB, Meyers M. A Pediatric Transgender Medicine Curriculum for Multidisciplinary Trainees. MedEdPORTAL : the journal of teaching and learning resources 2020. PMID: 32352033


  17. Walsh J, Potter M, Salazar R, Ozer E, Gildengorin G, Dass N, Green L. PreView: a Randomized Trial of a Multi-site Intervention in Diverse Primary Care to Increase Rates of Age-Appropriate Cancer Screening. Journal of general internal medicine 2019. PMID: 31728894


  18. Guss CE, Inwards-Breland DJ, Ozer E, Vance SR. Experiences With Querying Gender Identity Across Seven Adolescent Medicine Sites. The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine 2018. PMID: 30115506


  19. Vance SR, Lasofsky B, Ozer E, Buckelew SM. Teaching paediatric transgender care. The clinical teacher 2018. PMID: 29573566


  20. Tebb KP, Rodriguez F, Pollack LM, Trieu SL, Hwang L, Puffer M, Adams S, Ozer EM, Brindis CD. Assessing the effectiveness of a patient-centred computer-based clinic intervention, Health-E You/Salud iTu, to reduce health disparities in unintended pregnancies among Hispanic adolescents: study protocol for a cluster randomised control trial. BMJ open 2018. PMID: 29326184


  21. Harris SK, Aalsma MC, Weitzman ER, Garcia-Huidobro D, Wong C, Hadland SE, Santelli J, Park MJ, Ozer EM. Research on Clinical Preventive Services for Adolescents and Young Adults: Where Are We and Where Do We Need to Go? The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine 2016. PMID: 28011064


  22. Jasik CB, Berna M, Martin M, Ozer EM. Teen Preferences for Clinic-Based Behavior Screens: Who, Where, When, and How? The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine 2016. PMID: 27884300


  23. Webb MJ, Kauer SD, Ozer EM, Haller DM, Sanci LA. Does screening for and intervening with multiple health compromising behaviours and mental health disorders amongst young people attending primary care improve health outcomes? A systematic review. BMC family practice 2016. PMID: 27488823


  24. Frasquilho D, Ozer EJ, Ozer EM, Branquinho C, Camacho I, Reis M, Tomé G, Santos T, Gomes P, Cruz J, Ramiro L, Gaspar T, Simões C, Piatt AA, Holsen I, Gaspar de Matos M. Dream Teens: Adolescents-Led Participatory Project in Portugal in the Context of the Economic Recession. Health promotion practice 2016. PMID: 27466268


  25. Tebb KP, Erenrich RK, Jasik CB, Berna MS, Lester JC, Ozer EM. Use of theory in computer-based interventions to reduce alcohol use among adolescents and young adults: a systematic review. BMC public health 2016. PMID: 27317330


  26. Sanci L, Chondros P, Sawyer S, Pirkis J, Ozer E, Hegarty K, Yang F, Grabsch B, Shiell A, Cahill H, Ambresin AE, Patterson E, Patton G. Responding to Young People's Health Risks in Primary Care: A Cluster Randomised Trial of Training Clinicians in Screening and Motivational Interviewing. PloS one 2015. PMID: 26422235


  27. Dolcini MM, Catania JA, Gandelman A, Ozer EM. Implementing a brief evidence-based HIV intervention: a mixed methods examination of compliance fidelity. Translational behavioral medicine 2014. PMID: 25584091


  28. Sadeh N, Londahl-Shaller EA, Piatigorsky A, Fordwood S, Stuart BK, McNiel DE, Klonsky ED, Ozer EM, Yaeger AM. Functions of non-suicidal self-injury in adolescents and young adults with Borderline Personality Disorder symptoms. Psychiatry research 2014. PMID: 24594204


  29. Ozer EM, Scott JT, Brindis CD. Seizing the opportunity: improving young adult preventive health care. Adolescent Medicine: State of the Art Reviews 2013. PMID: 24654545


  30. Lau JS, Adams SH, Irwin CE, Ozer EM. Receipt of preventive health services in young adults. The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine 2012. PMID: 23260833


  31. Sanci L, Grabsch B, Chondros P, Shiell A, Pirkis J, Sawyer S, Hegarty K, Patterson E, Cahill H, Ozer E, Seymour J, Patton G. The prevention access and risk taking in young people (PARTY) project protocol: a cluster randomised controlled trial of health risk screening and motivational interviewing for young people presenting to general practice. BMC public health 2012. PMID: 22672481


  32. Viner RM, Ozer EM, Denny S, Marmot M, Resnick M, Fatusi A, Currie C. Adolescence and the social determinants of health. Lancet (London, England) 2012. PMID: 22538179


  33. Ozer EM, Urquhart JT, Brindis CD, Park MJ, Irwin CE. Young adult preventive health care guidelines: there but can't be found. Archives of pediatrics & adolescent medicine 2012. PMID: 22393182


  34. Jasik CB, Adams SH, Irwin CE, Ozer E. The association of BMI status with adolescent preventive screening. Pediatrics 2011. PMID: 21768313


  35. Ozer EM, Adams SH, Orrell-Valente JK, Wibbelsman CJ, Lustig JL, Millstein SG, Garber AK, Irwin CE. Does delivering preventive services in primary care reduce adolescent risky behavior? The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine 2011. PMID: 22018561


  36. Ozer EM, Zahnd EG, Adams SH, Husting SR, Wibbelsman CJ, Norman KP, Smiga SM. Are adolescents being screened for emotional distress in primary care? The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine 2009. PMID: 19465315


  37. Adams SH, Husting S, Zahnd E, Ozer EM. Adolescent preventive services: rates and disparities in preventive health topics covered during routine medical care in a California sample. The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine 2008. PMID: 19465317


  38. Buckelew SM, Adams SH, Irwin CE, Gee S, Ozer EM. Increasing clinician self-efficacy for screening and counseling adolescents for risky health behaviors: results of an intervention. The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine 2008. PMID: 18639796


  39. Ozer EM. The adolescent primary care visit: time to build on strengths. The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine 2007. PMID: 18023777


  40. Ozer EM, Adams SH, Lustig JL, Gee S, Garber AK, Gardner LR, Rehbein M, Addison L, Irwin CE. Increasing the screening and counseling of adolescents for risky health behaviors: a primary care intervention. Pediatrics 2005. PMID: 15805371


  41. Ozer EM, Adams SH, Gardner LR, Mailloux DE, Wibbelsman CJ, Irwin CE. Provider self-efficacy and the screening of adolescents for risky health behaviors. The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine 2004. PMID: 15261638


  42. Brindis C, Park MJ, Ozer EM, Irwin CE. Adolescents' access to health services and clinical preventive health care: crossing the great divide. Pediatric annals 2002. PMID: 12271742


  43. Ozer EM, Adams SH, Lustig JL, Millstein SG, Camfield K, El-Diwany S, Volpe S, Irwin CE. Can it be done? Implementing adolescent clinical preventive services. Health services research 2001. PMID: 16148966


  44. Lustig JL, Ozer EM, Adams SH, Wibbelsman CJ, Fuster CD, Bonar RW, Irwin CE. Improving the delivery of adolescent clinical preventive services through skills-based training. Pediatrics 2001. PMID: 11331693


  45. Halpern-Felsher BL, Ozer EM, Millstein SG, Wibbelsman CJ, Fuster CD, Elster AB, Irwin CE. Preventive services in a health maintenance organization: how well do pediatricians screen and educate adolescent patients? Archives of pediatrics & adolescent medicine 2000. PMID: 10665605


  46. Ozer EM, Barnett RC, Brennan RT, Sperling J. Does child care involvement increase or decrease distress among dual-earner couples? Women's health (Hillsdale, N.J.) 1998. PMID: 9916542


  47. Ozer EM. The impact of work-family systems on women's psychological health: an introduction. Women's health (Hillsdale, N.J.) 1998. PMID: 9916541