Editor's Corner

Welcome to the Spring 2024 SoAP Box Newsletter!

I am thrilled to be sharing my first issue as editor with you all. Before diving into this issue’s content, I’d like to take a moment to acknowledge Angelo DiBello and Melissa Hatch for their hard work over the past 3 years to curate the SoAP Box. Thank you for your hard work and your guidance during the transition. And to all the members of Division 50, thank you for this opportunity to serve the Society in this role.

We start off this issue with Dr. Seema Clifasefi’s message in her first President’s Column,  highlighting the importance of viewing addiction through the lens of social and racial justice. Dr. Clifasefi reflects on these issues and their connection to this year’s CPA and APA conference themes. Additionally, we have exciting spotlights on members serving the Society. Our Early Career Member-at-Large, Dr. David Lardier, is featured in the Early Career Psychologist Spotlight. Our Junior Student Representative, Katherine Berry, is featured in the Student Spotlight.

In this issue, I am thrilled to feature another student member, Fatima Dobani. Ms. Dobani is an NIAAA-funded F31 Predoctoral Fellowship awardee. You can read more about her project, as well as her recent publication on alcohol use patterns among Multiracial and monoracial youth in the Diversity Science Spotlight. Further, Dr. Braden Linn reflects on his experiences Navigating Shifting NIH Priorities in the Finding Success Through Failure column.

We round out this issue highlighting the various activities of the Society during Spring 2024. In this issue’s Sound Bites, we are showcasing the recent episodes of The Addiction Psychologist Podcast. Finally, as we get closer to the APA Annual Convention at the end of the summer, make sure to check out the APA Meeting Announcements for important information and reminders from our Division 50 APA Convention Co-chairs Dr. Christina Lee and Dr. Tessa Frohe. 

Thank you to everyone who contributed to this content! Looking ahead to the Summer 2024 issue and beyond, I welcome anyone from our membership to contribute a piece or suggestions for content. This includes things that fit within our established structure, as well as new ideas for standalone or recurring columns. Please submit any content to me (jfillo@mailbox.sc.edu) by Friday July 19th, 2024.  
- Diversity Science Spotlight. In this column, we are looking to highlight recently published work or accomplishments by members from backgrounds that are underrepresented in psychological science. We are also interested in promoting research focusing on improving health equity and social justice in historically disadvantaged groups. Send us a link and description of your current projects, awards, or media attention you have received, and any other information that you would like to share with our readers. If you are discussing research focused on improving health equity and social justice, you can also provide additional information about the implications of your research. Please limit responses to 500 words.
- SoAP Box Sound Bites. In 50 words or less, please respond to the following prompt—What are you most looking forward to this summer, both personally and professionally?
- Show and Tell. This is the place to show off your recent accomplishments, accolades, awards and/or to highlight the cool ways in which you promote your lab (websites, Facebook pages, Instagram accounts, etc.). Send us a link and description of your current projects, awards, or media attention you may have received, and any other information that you would like to share with our readers. Please limit responses to 200 words.
- Clinical Translation. Do you have any recently published work that you wish you would have had more room in the manuscript to discuss clinical implications and applications? Please limit responses to 1,000 words.
- Clinician’s Corner. Clinician’s Corner can include creative ideas, important lessons learned, and innovations in practice and implementation. The Clinician's Corner is also a place for clinicians to introduce themselves and talk about their work and accomplishments. Clinical practice members of the Division can inspire and learn from one another. They also can provide fresh ideas and a unique perspective to academicians that could open the door and inspire new research. The Outreach & Dissemination Committee thought this was a way that the clinical voice based on theory, practice, experience, and imagination can be given a new forum within the division.
- Finding Success in Failure. In line with the recent trend of prominent academics and clinicians sharing their “CVs of Failures”, we want to hear about a time in your career that things didn’t go your way. For this next issue, I am hoping someone will provide insights into the challenges they experienced as a mentor and what they learned along the way. We are interested in what the challenge was, how you approached resolving the issue, and what you learned as a result of the experience. What advice would you give to others when facing similar challenges in the future?  Please limit responses to 500 words. 
- Ethical Issues. In this column, we are looking for articles focused on describing ethical issues you may come across in your research and/or addiction-related clinical practice. Specifically, we want to hear what the ethical issue was, how you handled it, and lessons learned. Some examples could be issues related to googling patients, how you handled it when a patient contacted you on social media, or what happens when you run into a research participant out in the real world. Please limit responses to 500 words.