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Lydia Aletraris

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Associate Research Scientist, School of Social Work
Associate Director, Center on Human Trafficking Research and Outreach
Assistant Director, Center for Research on Behavioral Health and Human Services Delivery, Owens Institute for Behavioral Research
Courtesy Faculty, Department of Sociology

Dr. Aletraris is the Principal Investigator of a National Institutes of Health-funded project that examines the effects of cannabis legalization on the substance use disorder treatment industry. She had worked on several national research studies funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, and the U.S. Department of Justice, focusing on substance use treatment delivery and the use of evidence-based treatment practices.

Dr. Aletraris also coordinates the Prevalence Reduction Innovation Forum for the Center on Human Trafficking, Research & Outreach (CenHTRO. that is funded by the U.S. Department of State. The forum enlists scholars from universities around the world to test the efficacy of various methodological approaches in measuring human trafficking prevalence. The project is conducting prevalence estimates in Brazil, Costa Rica, Morocco, Pakistan, Tanzania, and Tunisia. In addition, she is a Co-Principal Investigator of a U.S. Department of State-funded project in Zambia and Malawi focusing on reducing labor trafficking and increasing the financial capability of vulnerable populations.

Dr. Aletraris has previously served on the Regional Advisory Council of the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities. She currently serves on the Human Trafficking Task Force of Georgia’s Criminal Justice Coordinating Council.

Education:
  • Ph.D., Sociology, University of Georgia 2010
  • M.A., Sociology, University of Georgia 2005
  • B.Sc. Psychology (Summa Cum Laude), Minor: Business Management, Illinois Institute of Technology 2003
  • DipABRSM, Music Performance (Piano) and Music Theory, Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, England 1999