Professional Summary
Dr. Roberts is Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Behavior & Health Education (HBHE) and co-director of the new-for-2009 UM dual-degree program that offers a Master of Public Health (M.P.H.)/Master of Human Genetics (M.S.) with a Specialty in Genetic Counseling. Prior to joining the HBHE faculty in Fall 2006, he was Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurology at Boston University School of Medicine, where he served as co-director of the Education Core in the BU Alzheimer's Disease Center. Dr. Roberts is a licensed clinical psychologist with a specialty in geropsychology. Within SPH, he serves on the faculty committee in the Public Health Genetics Interdepartmental Concentration and is affiliated with the UM Center for Health Communications Research. Dr. Roberts represents the School of Public Health as a member of the steering committee of the university-wide Ethics in Public Life Initiative.
Courses Taught
HBEHED610: Issues in Public Health Ethics
HBEHED669: Genetics, Health Behavior, and Health Education
Education
Ph.D., Clinical Psychology, University of Michigan, 1999
M.A., Clinical Psychology, University of Michigan, 1996
B.A., English, Duke University, 1992
Research Interest & Projects
Dr. Roberts' research interests are focused on the process and impact of genetic risk assessment for adult-onset disorders. He has served since 2001 as Co-Principal Investigator of the REVEAL Study (Risk Evaluation & Education for Alzheimer's Disease), an NIH-funded series of clinical trials assessing the psychological and behavioral impact of genetic risk disclosure for Alzheimer's disease. Dr. Roberts is also Principal Investigator of an NIH-funded study examining the process of genetic counseling and education within the REVEAL Study.
Dr. Roberts is also interested in the development and evaluation of education and support programs designed to improve adjustment to illness, and has conducted funded research in this area on a program for families affected by early stage dementia. In addition, Dr. Roberts has research interests pertaining to illness perceptions in the lay public and their influence on health behaviors. In this area, Dr. Roberts has conducted an Alzheimer's Association-funded study of illness perceptions among a culturally diverse sample of family caregivers and relatives of people with dementia.
He has begun collaborations with investigators at the UM Comprehensive Cancer Center on projects in the following areas: 1) Development and evaluation of an interactive website to provide tailored risk communication and health education to women at risk of breast cancer; and 2) Examining the process and impact of returning genetic research results to participants at risk of skin cancer.
Selected Publications
Roberts, J.S. (In Press). Psychological issues in genetic testing. In Smyer, M., Read, C., Green, R.C. (Ed.) Aging, Biotechnology and the Future Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.
Chao, S., Roberts, J.S., Marteau, T.M., Silliman, R., Cupples, L.A., Green, R.C. (In Press). Health behavior changes after genetic risk assessment for Alzheimer's disease: The REVEAL Study. Alzheimer Disease & Associated Disorders
Roberts, J.S., Silverio, E.A." (2009). Evaluation of an education and support program for early-stage Alzheimer's disease. Journal of Applied Gerontology
Green, R.C., Roberts, J.S., et al." (2009). A randomized trial of APOE disclosure for risk of Alzheimer's disease: The REVEAL Study. New England Journal of Medicine
Connell, C. M, Roberts, J. S., & McLaughlin, S." (May, 2008). Racial Differences in Knowledge and Beliefs about Alzheimer Disease. Alzheimer Disease and Associated Disorders
Christensen, K.D., Roberts, J.S., Royal, C.D., M., Fasaye, G.A., Obisesan, T., Cupples, L.A., Whitehouse, P.J., Butson, M.B., Linnenbringer, E., Relkin, N.R., Farrer, L., Cook-Deegan, R., Green, R.C." (March, 2008). Incorporating ethnicity into genetic risk assessment for Alzheimer's disease: The REVEAL Study experience. Genetics In Medicine, 3, 207-14.
Chao, S., Roberts, J.S., Marteau, T.M., Silliman, R., Cupples, L.A., Green, R.C." (March, 2008). Health behavior changes after genetic risk assessment for Alzheimer's disease: The REVEAL Study. Alzheimer Disease and Associated Disorders, 1, 94-97.
Connell, C.M., Roberts, J.S., McLaughlin, S.J. (2007). Public opinion about Alzheimer disease among Blacks, Hispanics, and Whites: Results from a national survey. Alzheimer Disease & Associated Disorders, 21, 232-40.
Roberts, J.S., Cupples, L.A., Relkin, N.R., Whitehouse, P.J., & Green, R.C. (2005). Genetic risk assessment for adult children of people with Alzheimer's disease: The Risk Evaluation and Education for AD (REVEAL) Study. Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neurology, 18, 250-255.
Zick, C., Mathews, C., Roberts, J.S., Cook-Deegan, R., Pokorski, R., & Green, R.C. (2005). Genetic testing for Alzheimer's disease and its impact on insurance purchasing behavior. Health Affairs, 24(2), 483-490.
Professional Affiliations
American Psychological Association
American Public Health Association
American Society of Bioethics and the Humanities
Gerontological Society of America
National Coalition for Health Professional Education in Genetics
Additional Information
Licensed psychologist, State of Michigan
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