Eric R. Pedersen, Ph.D. – Associate Professor, USC Keck School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Dr. Pedersen is the lab director of the PEARL and an associate professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences in the Keck School of Medicine at USC. He is an adjunct behavioral scientist at the RAND Corporation. His research interests are primarily in the areas of young adult/adolescent alcohol use and co-occurring mental health disorders. Dr. Pedersen has received funding to develop brief, online interventions to reduce alcohol misuse among young adult populations such as college students and recently discharged veterans. He is interested in finding ways to target co-occurring Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and substance use disorders among young adults, as well as in using internet-based methods to help reduce alcohol misuse and promote treatment engagement among non-treatment-seeking veterans. He is also serving as the director of Project ALERT, which is a school-based drug prevention program for middle school youth developed at RAND. Dr. Pedersen received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Washington in 2012. He joined the faculty at USC in 2020 after working full-time as a behavioral scientist at RAND from 2012 to 2020. View Dr. Pedersen’s CV here.
Neil Gleason, Ph.D. – Postdoctoral Research Associate, USC Keck School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Dr. Gleason is a postdoctoral associate at the PEARL. His research focuses on the intersections of substance use, behavioral addictions, and sexual health. His current research focuses on the confluence of chemsex, HIV risk, compulsive sexual behavior, and mental health in sexual minority populations. Other research and clinical interests include assessment and treatment of compulsive sexual behavior disorder, harm reduction-focused substance use interventions, addressing relationship conflict among intimate partners, and promoting sexual wellness. He completed his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at University of Washington and his predoctoral clinical internship at VA Puget Sound, Seattle. View Dr. Gleason’s CV here.
Angeles Sedano, LCSW – Research Coordinator, USC Keck School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Angeles is a research coordinator at USC for the PEARL. She received her undergraduate degree from Cal State Northridge with a BA in Psychology and minor in Family Studies, and a Masters from USC in Social Work with concentration in Children, Youth and Family. During her Masters, she completed internships with LAPD and Department of Mental Health. She has worked in a non profit agency that provides mental health services, case management and outreach in South LA. She started as a case manager and then became a clinician for a 24/7 Full Service Partnership program. Angeles has worked with 0-5, children, teens, Transitional Age Youth (TAY), and adults in different capacities (clinical, case management, and outreach). Her interests are working with at-risk TAY who have experienced homelessness, trauma, been part of the legal system, and/or are experiencing co-occurring disorders.
Ireland Shute – Project Manager, USC Keck School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Ireland is one of the PEARL’s lab managers (as of July 2023). She graduated from the University of Southern California in 2023 with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Occupational Science. She is interested in harm reduction; factors relating to the onset and maintenance of substance use and disordered eating; improving treatment for substance use and disordered eating at the individual, institutional, and systemic levels; the measurement of substance use; and accessible behavioral interventions among populations at risk for adverse health effects. View Ireland’s CV here.
Lauren Guzman, M.S. – Associate Research Administrator, USC Keck School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Lauren Guzman is an Associate Research Administrator in the Department of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences. She has been with USC since 2019 and joined the Department of Psychiatry in 2024. She provides pre- and post-award administrative support for Dr. Pedersen’s research and contract and grant activities. Some of her responsibilities include proposal preparation, budget management, and reporting. She holds a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from Gonzaga University and is expected to earn her Master’s in Applied Psychology from USC in May 2025. Through her combined education and experience, she aims to drive process improvement to optimize efficiency in the workplace.