Dr. Pennington is building a clinical research program that aims to leverage cognitive neuroscience to develop more efficacious digital health interventions for understudied populations that suffer from alcohol and substance use disorders. He is conducting formative work to enhance treatment engagement and care for rural Native American Veterans with Alcohol Use Disorder.
This project will specifically support Dr. Pennington’s effort to coordinate communication and collect consumer and provider information from the Veteran Outreach Program, the Hoopa Valley Tribal Council’s K’ima:w Medical Center, and heavy drinking Native American Veterans living on rural Hoopa Valley Tribal lands. This data collected during surveys and focus groups will contribute to the development of an alcohol self-monitoring app.
Dr. Pennington received a BS in Psychology and Sociology at Western New Mexico University and a MS and PhD from Palo Alto University. He continued his training in substance abuse treatment at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center.