Sandra Cortina, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology. She currently serves as a clinical faculty member and Director of Clinical Service for the Center for the Promotion of Treatment Adherence and Self-Management.

Dr. Cortina provides leadership in the integration of clinical care and research as part of the Center’s innovative clinical effectiveness program. She provides out-patient treatment to patients and families coping with a variety of chronic pediatric illness conditions. She specializes in adherence to medical treatment, behavioral concerns, and general psychosocial adjustment of patients and families. Specific out-patient services include providing cognitive behavioral and parent training strategies, follow-up of patient adjustment to new diagnosis, and utilizing motivational interviewing techniques.

Dr. Cortina also serves as a consultant to a multi-site, randomized control trial of an intervention to promote adherence to oral medication among adolescents with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, as well as an intervention to promote adherence among young adults with lupus. Finally, she is involved with Dr. Drotar in the development of several manuscripts pertaining to patient and family adjustment to chronic illness, as well as behavioral adherence to medical treatment.