María Vélez

Dr. María Vélez is an Associate Professor in the Clinical Ph.D. Program at Albizu University's San Juan Campus, with a joint appointment as Co-Investigator at the University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus. She holds a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and maintains an active private practice.

Education:

• Ph.D. Clinical Psychology, Centro de Estudios Caribeños Postgraduados (1997)
• M.S. Clinical Psychology, Centro de Estudios Caribeños Postgraduados (1995)
• B.A. Clinical Psychology, Universidad de Puerto Rico (1990)

Research Focus: Her work centers on ADHD in adults, executive functioning, emotion regulation, and risk behaviors, with recent studies examining prison populations and health disparities. She employs psychometric validation and cross-cultural methodologies, emphasizing Puerto Rican and Latino communities.

Awards:

• Distinguished Researcher Award, Puerto Rican Psychological Association (2004)

Current Projects: Co-investigator for NIH-funded research on ADHD and substance use comorbidity in Latino prison inmates. Teaches graduate courses in research methods, statistics, and clinical evaluation.