Jennifer A. Livingston

Dr. Jennifer Livingston is an Associate Professor at the University at Buffalo School of Nursing. A dedicated scholar in the field of adolescent health and violence prevention, her research focuses on the impact of early adverse experiences—particularly peer victimization—on substance use, sexual risk behaviors, mental health, and vulnerability to further victimization, such as dating violence and sexual assault. Her scholarship combines educational psychology with public health concerns to explore the long-term implications of bullying, sexual harassment, and trauma on youth development, with a specific emphasis on LGBTQ+ populations and military communities. Dr. Livingston holds a PhD and MA in Educational Psychology from the State University of New York at Buffalo and a BA in Psychology from SUNY Buffalo State. Her career is shaped by an intersectional lens on sexual health education and behavioral interventions aimed at preventing sexual violence and substance misuse in high-risk groups. She is a prolific researcher and accomplished educator who is highly regarded for her translational work linking empirical evidence to actionable prevention strategies. Her most current work includes two major research projects. The first is a mixed-method, longitudinal study funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, exploring the relationship between peer victimization and risky alcohol use among LGBQ+ youth. The second, funded by the Department of Defense, is a collaborative effort to develop and test a peer-based motivational intervention called MPAIRS, aimed at reducing sexual violence and risky drinking among Navy service members. Both projects aim to identify and implement practical solutions to complex public health challenges affecting marginalized groups. Dr. Livingston has published extensively on adolescent victimization, teen dating violence, and the interplay of sexual risk and alcohol use. She is a recognized thought leader in interdisciplinary prevention science and has received multiple accolades, including the Mecca S. Cranley Award for Excellence in Teaching, the Ellen Volpe Memorial Award, and the Murray Straus Interpersonal Violence Original Research Award. A committed member of the academic and research community, Dr. Livingston serves as Senior Consulting Editor for Psychology of Violence and is an active participant in numerous professional societies, including the Society for Prevention Research, Society for Research on Adolescence, and the Research Society on Alcoholism. She also holds advisory roles at the University at Buffalo’s Alberti Center for Bullying Abuse Prevention and with national policy and research bodies like the National Institute of Justice.