Biographical Sketch
Sarah J. Dow-Fleisner
Ph.D. Student
Boston College
Education
M.A. in Child Development, Tufts University, Medford, MA
B.S. in Child Development, Colby-Sawyer College, New London, NH
B.A in Psychology, Colby-Sawyer College, New London, NH
Research Interests
Development trajectories of children in unsupportive and high-risk contexts; Parent-child and sibling
relationships in families experiencing parental mental illness and substance use; Protective factors related
to resilient functioning in at risk children; Statistical methodology
Awards and Fellowships
Boston College Doctoral Fellowship; Tufts Graduate Scholarship
Organization Affiliations
Member, Board of Directors for the Massachusetts Sibling Support Network (MSSN)
Teaching Experience
Graduate Teaching Assistant, Introduction to Child Development, Tufts University, Medford, MA.;
Teaching Assistant, Introduction to Psychology, Colby-Sawyer College, New London, NH
Research Experience
Graduate Research Assistant: Dr. Shen working on large panel data exploring the determinates of life
expectancy in less developed counties; Graduate Statistical Research Consultant in the Information
Technology, Research Services Department at Boston College; Research Assistant, Dr. Summer
Hawkins, Breastfeeding Policy in the United States; Massachusetts Health Family Evaluation, PIs: H.
Mistry, Ph.D., M.A. Easterbrooks, Ph.D., F. Jacobs, Ed.D., Tufts University; Clinical Research
Coordinator, Center for Addiction Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital,
Boston, MA. PI. Dr. John F. Kelly
Publications
Hawkins, S. S., Dow-Fleisner, S., & Noble, A. (2015). Breastfeeding and the Affordable Care
Act. Pediatric Clinics of North America, 62(5), 1071-1091.
DIO: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pcl.2015.05.002
Dow, S. J. & Kelly, J. K. (2013). Listening to youth: Adolescents’ self-reported reasons for
substance use as a predictor of treatment response and outcome. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 27(4),
1122-1131.
Yeterian, J. D., Dow, S. J., & Kelly, J. F. (2012). Ensuring retention in longitudinal studies: A
practical evaluation of an intensive follow-up protocol and suggested adaptations. International Journal of
Social Research Methodology, 15(5), 369-383.
Kelly, J. F., Dow, S. J., Yeterian, J. D., & Myers, M. (2011). How safe are adolescents at AA and
NA meetings? A prospective investigation with outpatient youth. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment,
40(4), 419-425.
Kelly, J. F., Dow, S. J., & Westerhoff, C. (2010). Does our choice of substance-related terms
influence perceptions of treatment need? An empirical investigation with two commonly used terms.
Journal of Drug Issues, 40(4), 805-818.
Kelly, J. F., Dow, S. J., Yeterian, J. D., & Kahler, C. W. (2010). Can 12-step group participation
strengthen and extend the benefits of adolescent addiction treatment? A prospective analysis. Drug and
Alcohol Dependence, 110(1-2), 117-125.
Kelly, J. F. & Dow, S. J. (2009). Stigma in addiction: Does it matter how we refer to individuals with
substance-related conditions? Alcoholism: Clinical Experimental Research, 33(s1), 119A.