Aaron White, PhD is a brain researcher with a doctorate in biological psychology. His graduate research at Miami University (in Ohio) and post-doctoral work at Duke University Medical Center focused on the effects of alcohol and other drugs on brain function – particularly memory formation – and changes in the brain during adolescence.

From 2001 to 2008, Dr. White was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, Division of Medical Psychology, at Duke University Medical Center. During those years, his research expanded to include adolescent alcohol use, adolescent substance abuse treatment and the development of education and prevention efforts aimed at helping teens, families and communities navigate the hurdles of adolescence and keep healthy brain development on track. He helped create a successful online alcohol education and prevention program, called AlcoholEdu, which has been completed by more than 2,000,000 college students to date.

Dr. White recently published a guide for parents and communities, Keeping Adolescence Healthy: Exploring the Issues Facing Today’s Kids and Communities, which examines the facts surrounding issues like videogame violence, bullying and school shootings, adolescent psychological disorders, drinking and drug use, body image and the media, diet and exercise and more. 

In the fall of 2008, Dr. White joined the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism where he continues his work promoting healthy adolescent development.

Over the years, he has appeared on major news networks in the U.S. and overseas, published more than 40 scientific manuscripts and two books, and has spoken internationally about adolescent brain development and other topics related to adolescent health.