Diana Fishbein

Diana H. Fishbein is passionate about the potential for evidence-based practices and policies to improve neurodevelopment and, in turn, overall outcomes for children and youth who are impoverished and/or have experienced adversity and trauma.  

Diana's studies utilize transdisciplinary methods and a developmental approach to understand interactions between neurobiological processes and environmental factors. The ultimate goal is to translate scientific findings to practice and policies designed to prevent mental health, emotional and behavioral problems. Her research supports the premise that underlying neurobiological mechanisms interact with the quality of our psychosocial experiences and environmental contexts to alter trajectories either toward or away from risk behaviors. 

Given the inherent translational nature of this research, she co-founded the National Prevention Science Coalition to Improve Lives, a national organization dedicated to the transfer of knowledge from the basic to the applied sciences as well as practical settings and public health policies. She has received three awards from the Society of Prevention Research (SPR), the Presidential Award, as well as one for Public Service and one for Translational Prevention Science. Diana has published about 100 papers and several books.

Diana also directs the Center's Program for Translational Research on Adversity and Neurodevelopment (P-TRAN). Her adjunct professor positions include at Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland School of Medicine, and she is a faculty subcontractor at Georgetown University, and a guest researcher at the National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program. 

In the future, she plans to work on solutions to economic and social inequalities, as well as to continue to establish mechanisms of behavioral change in response to intervention, two fields that are currently underdeveloped.  Her utmost goal is to bring life to prevention science and make a greater impact on individuals, families and communities that will ultimately improve lives.

Diana says the best thing about working at the Center is the supportive and nurturing environment that scaffolds it and the truly caring and passionate individuals that collaborate to help others less fortunate.

A huge baseball and football fan, Diana loves being outdoors enjoying nature's beauty. When she eventually retires, she wants to devote her time to rescuing mistreated animals and finding them loving, caring homes.

Prevention-related Projects

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  Optimizing a Mindful Intervention for Urban Minority Youth via Stress Physiology

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  Mechanisms Underlying the Relationship between Sleep Problems and Drug Use in Adolescence

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  Developmental fMRI Study of Alcohol Use in Adolescence

The pivotal role of prevention science in this syndemic

Fishbein, D. (2020). The pivotal role of prevention science in this syndemic. Prevention Science. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-020-01180-w

Associations between child maltreatment, harsh parenting, and sleep with adolescent mental health

Calhoun, B.H., Ridenour, T. A., & Fishbein, D. H. (2019). Associations between child maltreatment, harsh parenting, and sleep with adolescent mental health. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 28, 116-130.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force's opportunity to pursue a new strategy for behavioral health

Counts, N. Z., Hawkins, J. D., & Fishbein, D. H. (2019). The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force's opportunity to pursue a new strategy for behavioral health. American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Dietary long-chain omega-3 fatty acids are related to impulse control and anterior cingulate function in adolescents

Darcey, V. L., McQuaid, G. A., Fishbein, D. H., & Van Meter, J. W. (2019). Dietary long-chain omega-3 fatty acids are related to impulse control and anterior cingulate function in adolescents. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 12, 1-11.

Translating prevention research for evidence-based policymaking: Results from the Research-to-Policy Collaboration pilot

Crowley, D. M., Scott, T., & Fishbein, D. (2017). Translating prevention research for evidence-based policymaking: Results from the Research-to-Policy Collaboration pilot. Prevention Science, 19(2), 260–270. PMCID: PMC5803346

Special issue of Translational Behavioral Medicine

Fishbein, D. (Ed.) (2016). Special issue of Translational Behavioral Medicine, 6(1).

Short-term intervention effects of the PATHS curriculum in young low-income children: Capitalizing on plasticity

Fishbein, D., Domitrovich, C. E., Williams, J., Gitukui, S., Guthrie, C., Shapiro, D., & Greenberg, M. T. (2016). Short-term intervention effects of the PATHS curriculum in young low-income children: Capitalizing on plasticity. The Journal of Primary Prevention, 37(6), 493-511. doi: 0278095X

Neurodevelopmental precursors and consequences of substance use during adolescence: Promises and pitfalls of longitudinal neuroimaging strategies

Fishbein, D., Rose, E., Darcey, V. L., Belcher, A. M., & VanMeter, J. W. (2016). Neurodevelopmental precursors and consequences of substance use during adolescence: Promises and pitfalls of longitudinal neuroimaging strategies. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 10, 116.

Neurocognitive characteristics of early marijuana use initiation in adolescents: A signature mapping analysis

Fishbein, D., Novak, S. P., Ridenour, T. A., Thornburg, V., Hammond, J. C., & Brown, J. (2016). Neurocognitive characteristics of early marijuana use initiation in adolescents: A signature mapping analysis. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 77(3), 431-440. doi: 19371888

The full translational spectrum of prevention science

Fishbein, D. (2016). The full translational spectrum of prevention science. Translational Behavioral Medicine, 6(1), 14. doi: 18696716

The full translational spectrum of prevention science: Facilitating the transfer of knowledge to practices and policies that prevent behavioral health problems

Fishbein, D., Ridenour, T. A., Stahl, M., & Sussman, S. (2016). The full translational spectrum of prevention science: Facilitating the transfer of knowledge to practices and policies that prevent behavioral health problems. Translational Behavioral Medicine, 6(1), 516. doi 18696716

Improvements in well-being and vagal tone following a yogic breathing-based life skills workshop in young adults: Two open-trial pilot studies

Goldstein, M. R., Lewis, G. F., Newman, R., Brown, J., Bobashev, G., Kilpatrick, L., Sepp E. M., Fishbein, D., & Meleth, S. (2016). Improvements in well-being and vagal tone following a yogic breathing-based life skills workshop in young adults: Two open-trial pilot studies. International Journal of Yoga, 9(1), 20-26. doi: 09736131

Translating research into prevention of high-risk behaviors in the presence of complex systems: Definitions and systems frameworks

Hassmiller Lich, K., Frerichs, L., Fishbein, D., Bobashev, G., & Pentz, M. (2016). Translating research into prevention of high-risk behaviors in the presence of complex systems: Definitions and systems frameworks. Translational Behavioral Medicine, 6(1), 17-31.

Parameters of preventing substance misuse in adolescence

Sussman, S., Liao, Y., Tsai, J., & Fishbein, D. (2016). Parameters of preventing substance misuse in adolescence. In M. R. Korin (Ed.), Health promotion for children and adolescents. New York, NY: Springer.

January 27, 2020

The real dangers of equating opioid dependence with addiction

Diana Fishbein, Penn State research professor in human development and family studies, recently organized a Congressional briefing with the National Prevention Science Coalition to Improve Lives and the Congressional Addiction, Treatment and Recovery Caucus, to discuss the important distinctions between addiction and dependence in developing policy responses to the opioid epidemic. Although many people conflate addiction and dependence, they are not the same, and the distinction has important implications for the millions of people who rely on opioid medications for pain management.

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June 21, 2019

Penn State-led national coalition bringing prevention science to life

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Over the past four decades, prevention science has grown steadily, producing evidence-based practices and policies that prevent negative medical, social and emotional impacts before they occur. Increasingly, the Penn State-led National Prevention Science Coalition to Improve Lives (NPSC) is being recognized for its work translating science to policymakers, educators, practitioners and communities.

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