Sarah Westen, PhD, is a licensed psychologist and Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Clinical and Health Psychology at the University of Florida, where she also completed her doctoral training and psychology residency. Dr. Westen is currently the Director of Diabetes Behavioral Medicine and Psychology at UF Health, Chair of the American Psychological Association’s Special Interest Group in Diabetes, and is a member of the JDRF Psychosocial Advisory Committee and a former JDRF National Psychology Fellowship recipient. Prior to coming to the University of Florida, Dr. Westen completed a fellowship at the National Institute of Mental Health as an Intramural Research Training Award recipient. Dr. Westen was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 14 and has devoted her career to diabetes treatment and research. Clinically, she is interested in the biopsychosocial aspects of chronic illness throughout the lifespan (e.g., coping, family management, transition from pediatric to adult care, and treatment of comorbid mental health and behavioral conditions such as distress and anxiety). Her patient-oriented clinical research focuses on factors affecting adherence to medical treatment regimens, with an interest in using technology to optimize outcomes such as time-in-range, sleep quality and duration, and quality of life. Her research has been awarded multiple grants and recognitions, including the Society of Pediatric Psychology Drotar-Crawford Postdoctoral Fellowship Research Grant in Pediatric Psychology, Society of Pediatric Psychology Mary Jo Kupst Trainee Grant for Research in Resilience, and the Geoffrey Clark-Ryan Memorial Award for Pediatric Research. Dr. Westen is thrilled to participate in Friends for Life.
