Dr. Linda Cottler is Dean’s Professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the College of Public Health and Health Professions and the College of Medicine at the University of Florida. She was the Chair of Epidemiology (2011 to 2018) and Senior Associate Dean for Research (2012-2022) as well. She is involved in studies in several major areas with public health importance. These include: the development of culturally reliable and valid measures for identifying substance use, abuse and dependence, along with psychiatric disorders and their risk factors; innovative methods for conducting national surveys of high risk behaviors; and community based, peer-delivered interventions to change high risk behaviors and substance abuse. The Cottler lab has focused its work with underrepresented populations including persons who use drugs, youth 10 to 18 years of age nationally, out-of-treatment drug users and heavy drinkers, females in the commercial sex business and in criminal justice. The work she has done is directly related to reducing disparities for health research and health services. Dr. Cottler has been involved with major research efforts over the years, including the Epidemiologic Catchment Area study, the longitudinal ABCD study and the NIDA NDEWS surveillance system.
Dr. Cottler has expanded her community focus to the CTSA Community Engagement Program, first at Washington University as Director and now at UF's CTSI. Pertinent to this effort is the HealthStreet model, a hub for community outreach which links community residents to social and medical referrals, health messages, and research opportunities. The HealthStreet model has leveraged funding from the NIH and CDC for its efforts including COVID and is replicated through Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand.
Cottler’s work has had international focus as well, extending to Sydney, Taipei, Haiti, Bangalore, Kenya, Thailand and Afghanistan. Dr. Cottler’s research has been funded continuously since 1989 by NIDA; grants have also been funded through NIAAA, NCRR, NINR, NIMH, NHLBI, NIA, NCATS, Pinney Associates and ESPN. She was been principal investigator of a Fogarty International Center Training Program in India from 2001 to 2019; she is the former director of two NIH T32 Training Programs and current Director of a NIDA T32. She has mentored over 90 pre-and post-doctoral fellows, and NIH minority summer scholars, who are now themselves making important contributions to research efforts.
Dr. Cottler was at Washington University in the Department of Psychiatry for nearly 31 years prior to coming to the University of Florida in 2011. In her career, she has received numerous awards for mentoring and excellence in research and is a Fellow of the American College of Epidemiology.