Bio

Dr. Lydia Aletraris brings both a national and global perspective to her research, specializing in substance use and human trafficking. With extensive experience managing projects funded by agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the U.S. Department of State, she has served as Principal Investigator or Co-Principal Investigator on national research examining the implementation of evidence-based practices in substance use treatment and the effects of U.S. cannabis policy, as well as on international research focused on human trafficking.

Dr. Aletraris previously coordinated the Prevalence Reduction Innovation Forum (PRIF), a global initiative that developed key trafficking indicators and brought together scholars from around the world to test methodologies for measuring human trafficking prevalence, with studies conducted in Brazil, Costa Rica, Morocco, Pakistan, Tanzania, and Tunisia.

With a commitment to health and human rights, her research addresses urgent public health challenges through ethical, evidence-based practices and policies that support resilience and recovery across diverse, at-risk populations. Dr. Aletraris holds a PhD in Sociology from the University of Georgia.