Elisa Trucco, Ph.D.

About the Director

Dr. Elisa Trucco (she/her) completed her BA at the University of Pennsylvania. She received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University at Buffalo, SUNY after completing an APA accredited clinical internship at Yale University. She then completed two Postdoctoral Fellowships through the University of Michigan’s Department of Psychiatry (funded by NIAAA and NIDA).

She joined Florida International University’s Department of Psychology in 2015. She is an Associate Professor and a Licensed Clinical Psychologist in Florida and Michigan. She currently directs the Research on Adolescent and Child Health (ReACH) Lab. Dr. Trucco is also FIU’s Clinical Science in Child and Adolescent Psychology Doctoral Program’s Associate Director of Clinical Training. She is the recipient of the Research Society on Alcoholism’s 2015 Enoch Gordis Research Recognition Award. She was designated as a 2016 Rising Star from the Association for Psychological Science, which is presented to outstanding psychological scientists in the earliest stages of their research careers. In 2017, Dr. Trucco was also named an FIU Top Scholar and received a College of Arts, Sciences, & Education Faculty Award for her notable awards and grant funding. In 2020, Dr. Trucco was the recipient of FIU’s Faculty Senate Award for Excellence in Engagement. In 2021, she received the University Graduate School’s Provost Award for Mentorship of Graduate Students. 

Dr. Trucco is currently funded through an R01 through the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities examining electronic nicotine delivery systems use among Hispanic/Latina(o) high school students in South Florida. She also has an Administrative Supplement examine the impact of COVID-19 stressors on Hispanic/Latina(o) youth and caregiver substance use and mental health. She is also a Co-Investigator on the National Institute of Drug Abuse’s Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) project at FIU and a Co-Investigator on an R01 funded through NIAAA examining developmental and peer effects on the neurobiology of cognitive control and reward processes in collaboration with the University of Michigan. 

Dr. Trucco’s research focuses on understanding how adolescent substance use develops across multiple levels, including biology (genetics, neurobiology), social contexts (peers, parents, neighborhoods), culture (ethnic identity, acculturation), and individual characteristics (personality, temperament). Importantly, substance use and substance use disorder needs to be understood through a social justice lens. These disparities find their antecedents in laws linking substance use, race, and fears of violent crime. Dr. Trucco’s work seeks to advance race equity issues, especially as they relate to substance use. This work is grounded in empowerment theory, which recognizes the capabilities that exist among youth from minoritized backgrounds to enhance wellness. The overarching goal of this work is to translate findings into culturally-informed preventative interventions to reduce health disparities.