David Black, PhD, MPH

Dr. Black an Associate Professor of Preventive Medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. He is also a member of the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center and Associate Director of Education for the USC Center for Mindfulness Science. His research had been funded by university, private, and federal grants for over 16 years. He as authored and co-authored over 70 peer-reviewed articles in journals including JAMA Internal Medicine, JAMA Pediatrics, Cancer, Pediatrics, American Journal of Public Health, Behaviour Research and Therapy, and Psychosomatic Medicine. Dr. Black began his early career in the health sciences and earned a Master of Public Health degree and directed his first grant-funded human subjects research study prior to finishing his masters thesis. He trained as a NIH National Cancer Institute predoctoral fellow for five years at the USC Institute for Prevention Research, where he latter earned his Ph.D. The focus of his doctoral training was in substance misuse prevention and addictions research. He had self-studied contemplative theory and practices over the previous decade, and realized an opportunity to merge his passion for the contemplative studies with his training in the health sciences. He continued advanced training as a NIH National Institute on Aging postdoctoral fellow at the University of California at Los Angeles Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology. He focused his research effort on conducting a randomized controlled trial to test the impact of mindfulness training on sleep and inflammation in older adults with sleep problems. He went on to articulate a novel conceptual model to illustrate how mindfulness training exerts biological influence from brain to body using a genomic signal transduction framework with downstream biological impact on sympathetic nervous system activity, release of norepinephrine at nerve terminals, activation of b-adrenergic receptors on adjacent cells, and the cAMP/PKA signaling pathway that ultimately regulates gene expression by stimulating transcription factors, particularly those associated with the propagation of inflammation in peripheral blood. He recently completed a NIH NIDA R01 randomized controlled trial testing mindfulness training added to residential treatment for substance use disorder. He is currently co-PI of a clinical trial testing an app-based mindfulness training for smoking cessation that recruits smokers from across the state of California. He enjoys mentoring undergraduate and graduate students, was awarded the 2015 USC Mentoring Award for graduate students from the Center for Excellence in Teaching. He enjoys spending time with his family in nature, fly fishing, camping, and reading.

• USC Center for Excellence in Teaching: Mentoring Award for Undergraduate Students, 2022
• USC Institute for Integrative Health: Ingersoll-Burklo Award, 2018
• USC Center for Excellence in Teaching: Mentoring Award for Graduate Students, 2015
• NIH – National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: Clinical LRP Award, 2014-2016
• Society of Behavioral Medicine: SBM Citation Award, 2014
• University of Southern California: Medical Innovation Program finalist, 2013
• NIH – National Institute on Drug Abuse: RTI International Travel Award, 2012
• NIH – National Institute of Mental Health: Postdoctoral Research Fellow, 2011-2013
• Charlotte Resnick Memorial Scholarship, 2005-2006

• Mindful attention is inversely associated with pain via mediation by psychological distress in orthopedic patients Pain Med. 2024 Jan 04; 25(1):63-70. . View in PubMed
• Effect of a mindfulness training app on a cigarette quit attempt: an investigator-blinded, 58-county randomized controlled trial JNCI Cancer Spectr. 2023 Oct 31; 7(6). . View in PubMed
• Test of daily app-based mindfulness meditation preceding a planned smoking quit attempt date on abstinence: Protocol for a randomized controlled trial recruiting across the 58 counties of California Contemp Clin Trials. 2022 09; 120:106855. . View in PubMed
• Initial Efficacy of a Community-Derived Mindfulness-Based Intervention for Latinx Parents and their Children J Immigr Minor Health. 2021 Oct; 23(5):993-1000. . View in PubMed
• Mindfulness-Based Intervention Effects on Substance Use and Relapse Among Women in Residential Treatment: A Randomized Controlled Trial With 85-Month Follow-Up Period From the Moment-by-Moment in Women’s Recovery Project. Psychosom Med. 2021 Jul-Aug 01; 83(6):528-538. . View in PubMed
• Effect of Telephone Call and Text Message Reminders on Patient Return to Acupuncture Follow-Up Treatment: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial Med Acupunct. 2021 Jun 01; 33(3):226-234. . View in PubMed
• Distress tolerance and subsequent substance use throughout high school Addict Behav. 2021 09; 120:106983. . View in PubMed
• The Acute Relationship between Affective States and Stress Biomarkers in Ethnic Minority Youths Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 12 01; 18(23). . View in PubMed
• Mindful Body Scans and Sonographic Biofeedback as Preparatory Activities to Address Patient Psychological States in Hand Therapy: A Pilot Study Hand Ther. 2020 Sep; 25(3):98-106. . View in PubMed
• Mindfulness Training by Telephone Before and After Orthopedic Surgery: A Feasibility Study J Altern Complement Med. 2020 Mar; 26(3):249-251. . View in PubMed
• Seeking refuge in the present moment: A qualitatively refined model of dispositional mindfulness, minority stress, and psychosocial health among Latino/a sexual minorities and their families Psychol Sex Orientat Gend Divers. 2019 Dec; 6(4):408-419. . View in PubMed
• Demographic and Clinical Factors Associated with Patient Adherence to Acupuncture Treatment J Altern Complement Med. 2019 May; 25(5):522-525. . View in PubMed
• Factors in the perceived stress scale differentially associate with mindfulness disposition and executive function among early adolescents J Child Fam Stud. 2019 Mar; 28(3):814-821. . View in PubMed
• Reporting of Treatment Fidelity in Mindfulness-Based Intervention Trials: A Review and New Tool using NIH Behavior Change Consortium Guidelines Mindfulness (N Y). 2019 Feb; 10(2):215-233. . View in PubMed
• Moment-by-Moment in Women’s Recovery (MMWR): Mindfulness-based intervention effects on residential substance use disorder treatment retention in a randomized controlled trial Behav Res Ther. 2019 09; 120:103437. . View in PubMed
• Mindfulness meditation and gene expression: a hypothesis-generating framework Curr Opin Psychol. 2019 08; 28:302-306. . View in PubMed
• Response to Meghani and Liou re: “Demographic and Clinical Factors Associated with Patient Adherence to Acupuncture Treatment” J Altern Complement Med. 2019 06; 25(6):661. . View in PubMed
• Sexual trauma history is associated with reduced orbitofrontal network strength in substance-dependent women Neuroimage Clin. 2019; 24:101973. . View in PubMed
• Sleep and mood in older adults: coinciding changes in insomnia and depression symptoms Int Psychogeriatr. 2018 03; 30(3):431-435. . View in PubMed
• Improving Hairdressers’ Knowledge and Self-efficacy to Detect Scalp and Neck Melanoma by Use of an Educational Video JAMA Dermatol. 2018 02 01; 154(2):214-216. . View in PubMed
• Mindfulness-based interventions for cancer survivors: what do we know about the assessment of quality of life outcomes? Expert Rev Qual Life Cancer Care. 2018; 3(1):5-7.. View in PubMed
• Genomic mechanisms of fatigue in survivors of colorectal cancer Cancer. 2018 06 15; 124(12):2637-2644. . View in PubMed
• Mindfulness-Based Interventions and Sleep Among Cancer Survivors: a Critical Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials Curr Oncol Rep. 2017 Sep; 19(9):60. . View in PubMed
• Mindfulness practice reduces cortisol blunting during chemotherapy: A randomized controlled study of colorectal cancer patients Cancer. 2017 Aug 15; 123(16):3088-3096. . View in PubMed
• Sugar Restriction Leads to Increased Ad Libitum Sugar Intake by Overweight Adolescents in an Experimental Test Meal Setting J Acad Nutr Diet. 2017 Jul; 117(7):1041-1048. . View in PubMed
• Video-Based Grocery Shopping Intervention Effect on Purchasing Behaviors Among Latina Shoppers Am J Public Health. 2017 May; 107(5):800-806. . View in PubMed
• Moment-by-Moment in Women’s Recovery: Randomized controlled trial protocol to test the efficacy of a mindfulness-based intervention on treatment retention and relapse prevention among women in residential treatment for substance use disorder Contemp Clin Trials. 2017 11; 62:146-152. . View in PubMed
• Associations among dispositional mindfulness, self-compassion, and executive function proficiency in early adolescents Mindfulness (N Y). 2016 Dec; 7(6):1377-1384. . View in PubMed
• Complementary and Integrative Health Practices Among Hispanics Diagnosed with Colorectal Cancer: Utilization and Communication with Physicians J Altern Complement Med. 2016 Jun; 22(6):473-9. . View in PubMed
• The Applied Mindfulness Process Scale (AMPS): A process measure for evaluating mindfulness-based interventions Pers Individ Dif. 2016 Apr 01; 93:6-15. . View in PubMed
• Shared health characteristics in Hispanic colorectal cancer patients and their primary social support person following primary diagnosis Psychooncology. 2016 09; 25(9):1028-35. . View in PubMed
• Mindfulness meditation and the immune system: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2016 06; 1373(1):13-24. . View in PubMed
• Community-Based Mindfulness Program for Disease Prevention and Health Promotion: Targeting Stress Reduction Am J Health Promot. 2015 Sep-Oct; 30(1):36-41. . View in PubMed
• Mental resilience training modulates stress physiology of active duty marines preparing for deployment Evid Based Ment Health. 2015 May; 18(2):61. . View in PubMed
• Mindfulness meditation and improvement in sleep quality and daytime impairment among older adults with sleep disturbances: a randomized clinical trial JAMA Intern Med. 2015 Apr; 175(4):494-501. . View in PubMed
• Mindfulness Training and Classroom Behavior Among Lower-Income and Ethnic Minority Elementary School Children J Child Fam Stud. 2014 Oct; 23(7):1242-1246. . View in PubMed
• Mindfulness-based intervention for prodromal sleep disturbances in older adults: design and methodology of a randomized controlled trial Contemp Clin Trials. 2014 Sep; 39(1):22-7. . View in PubMed
• Mindfulness-based interventions for obesity-related eating behaviours: a literature review Obes Rev. 2014 Jun; 15(6):453-61. . View in PubMed
• The thinking mind as addiction: mindfulness as antidote Subst Use Misuse. 2014 Apr; 49(5):605-7. . View in PubMed
• Mindfulness-based interventions: an antidote to suffering in the context of substance use, misuse, and addiction Subst Use Misuse. 2014 Apr; 49(5):487-91. . View in PubMed
• Feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary outcomes of a mindfulness-based relapse prevention intervention for culturally-diverse, low-income women in substance use disorder treatment Subst Use Misuse. 2014 Apr; 49(5):547-59. . View in PubMed
• Unresolved issues in the application of mindfulness-based interventions for substance use disorders Subst Use Misuse. 2014 Apr; 49(5):601-4. . View in PubMed
• Mindfulness for chronic pain and prescription opioid misuse: novel mechanisms and unresolved issues Subst Use Misuse. 2014 Apr; 49(5):608-11. . View in PubMed
• Use of mindful reappraisal coping among meditation practitioners J Clin Psychol. 2014 Mar; 70(3):294-301. . View in PubMed
• Psychother Psychosom. 2014; 83(5):315-7. . View in PubMed
• Brain Gray Matter Changes Associated with Mindfulness Meditation in Older Adults: An Exploratory Pilot Study using Voxel-based Morphometry Neuro. 2014; 1(1):23-26. . View in PubMed
• Applying neurodevelopmental theory to school-based drug misuse prevention during adolescence New Dir Youth Dev. 2014; 2014(141):33-439-10. . View in PubMed
• Spirituality in addictions treatment: wisdom to know…what it is Subst Use Misuse. 2013 Sep; 48(12):1203-17. . View in PubMed
• Adolescent neurocognitive development, self-regulation, and school-based drug use prevention Prev Sci. 2013 Jun; 14(3):218-28. . View in PubMed
• A comparison of stigma among patients with leprosy in rural Tanzania and urban United States: a role for public health in dermatology Int J Dermatol. 2013 Apr; 52(4):432-40. . View in PubMed
• Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2013 Mar; 38(3):348-55. . View in PubMed
• Assessing hairdressers’ knowledge of scalp and neck melanoma and their willingness to detect lesions and make referrals to dermatologists J Am Acad Dermatol. 2013 Jan; 68(1):183-5. . View in PubMed
• Trait mindfulness helps shield decision-making from translating into health-risk behavior J Adolesc Health. 2012 Dec; 51(6):588-92. . View in PubMed
• Psychosom Med. 2012 Jul-Aug; 74(6):620-7. . View in PubMed
• Socio-demographic variables and perceptual moderators related to mental health stigma J Ment Health. 2012 Jun; 21(3):244-56. . View in PubMed
• Psychometric assessment of the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) among Chinese adolescents Assessment. 2012 Mar; 19(1):42-52. . View in PubMed
• Mindfulness and substance use intervention Subst Use Misuse. 2012 Feb; 47(3):199-201. . View in PubMed
• Testing the indirect effect of trait mindfulness on adolescent cigarette smoking through negative affect and perceived stress mediators J Subst Use. 2012; 17(5-6):417-429. . View in PubMed
• Incorporating mindfulness within established theories of health behavior Complementary Health Practice Review. 2012; 2(15):108-109. . View in PubMed
• Component Processes of Executive Function-Mindfulness, Self-control, and Working Memory-and Their Relationships with Mental and Behavioral Health Mindfulness (N Y). 2011 Sep; 2(3):179-185. . View in PubMed
• Decision-making style and gender moderation of the self-efficacy-condom use link among adolescents and young adults: informing targeted STI/HIV prevention programs Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2011 Apr; 165(4):320-5. . View in PubMed
• Cultural values associated with substance use among Hispanic adolescents in southern California Subst Use Misuse. 2011; 46(10):1223-33. . View in PubMed
• Skin disease and stigma in emerging adulthood: impact on healthy development J Cutan Med Surg. 2010 Nov-Dec; 14(6):285-90. . View in PubMed
• The influence of school-based natural mentoring relationships on school attachment and subsequent adolescent risk behaviors Health Educ Res. 2010 Oct; 25(5):892-902. . View in PubMed
• Mindfulness Research Guide: a New Paradigm for Managing Empirical Health Information Mindfulness (N Y). 2010 Sep 01; 1(3):174-176. . View in PubMed
• School disrepair and substance use among regular and alternative high school students J Sch Health. 2010 Aug; 80(8):387-93. . View in PubMed
• Gender differences in body consciousness and substance use among high-risk adolescents Subst Use Misuse. 2010 Aug; 45(10):1623-35. . View in PubMed
• A further look at the intergenerational transmission of violence: witnessing interparental violence in emerging adulthood J Interpers Violence. 2010 Jun; 25(6):1022-42. . View in PubMed
• Peer group self-identification as a predictor of relational and physical aggression among high school students J Sch Health. 2010 May; 80(5):249-58. . View in PubMed
• A concise history of school-based smoking prevention research: a pendulum effect case study J Drug Educ. 2010; 40(3):217-26. . View in PubMed
• Sitting-meditation interventions among youth: a review of treatment efficacy Pediatrics. 2009 Sep; 124(3):e532-41. . View in PubMed
• Substitute addiction: a concern for researchers and practitioners J Drug Educ. 2008; 38(2):167-80. . View in PubMed
• Tobacco control in developing countries: Tanzania, Nepal, China, and Thailand as examples Nicotine Tob Res. 2007 Sep; 9 Suppl 3:S447-57. . View in PubMed

• Sussman, Steven
• Unger, Jennifer
• Leventhal, Adam
• Lenz, Heinz-Josef
• Hempel, Susanne
• Davis, Jordan
• Pentz, Maryann
• Kirkpatrick, Matthew