Lynn T. Singer, PhD

Distinguished University Professor
Professor
Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences
School of Medicine
Professor
Department of Pediatrics
School of Medicine
Professor
Department of Psychiatry
School of Medicine

Dr. Lynn T. Singer is a developmental psychologist whose research focus has been on high risk conditions of infancy and effects on child development as well as family processes. Most recently her focus has been on developmental neurotoxicology and effects of maternal drug use during pregnancy and child outcome, especially cocaine, alcohol, MDMA (ecstasy) and opioids. She has directed a number of large, NIH and privately funded research programs including: a 19-year study of high-risk, preterm infants with lung disease and their families; a longitudinal study of cocaine-exposed infants; and a birth cohort study of MDMA exposure. She has edited two books, Psychosocial Assessment of Adolescents and Biobehavioral Assessment of Infants, and authored more than 200 peer-reviewed articles in the medical and psychological literature. In 1997, the ǿմý School of Medicine named her a “Million Dollar Professor.” She is an elected fellow of the AAAS, APS and APA.

Singer was also PI of the first NSF funded ADVANCE Institutional Transformation grant to a private university to develop programs to reduce barriers to advancement for women faculty in STEM fields, followed by NSF funded grants with Professor Diana Bilimoria, to develop, first, a Northeast Ohio consortium to bring university leaders together to advance STEM faculty initiatives, IDEAL (Institutions Developing Excellence in Academic Leadership) and then, a national consortium, IDEAL-N).

Singer’s career also included administrative appointments, serving as Vice-provost for Planning and Assessment, Interim Provost twice, Interim vice-president for Medical Affairs, Interim Dean of Graduate Studies, and Deputy Provost and Vice-president for Academic Affairs.

Professional Memberships

Developmental Neurotoxicology Society
Association for Psychological Science
American Association for the Advancement of Science
American Psychological Association, Divisions 7 and 37
Society for Pediatric Research

Publications

Find Dr. Singer's publications here:

singer

Publishing Impact

  • H-index: 62 –

  • Total publications: 260  

  • Total citations:  12,600  

  • Publications in top-tier journals:  23%   

  • Collaborative publishing national/international:  75%/25% 

Neurotoxicology and Teratology, editorial board

 

Recent grant funding:

NIDA, 1/6 ǿմý Planning for the HEALthy Early Development Study, Supplement “Substance Use, Psychological Stressors and Coping in Covid positive pregnant women.”

NIDA, 1/6-ǿմý Planning for the HEALthy Early Development Study

NIDA, Gender and Developmental Trajectories to Adolescent Substance Use and Sexual Risk Behavior,

NSF, Northern Ohio AGEP-T: Locally and Ethnically Inclusive Graduate Education Model in Biology, Chemistry, and Engineering,

NSF, Institutions Developing Excellence in Academic Leadership – National (IDEAL-N),

NIDA, The Effects of Prenatal Cocaine Exposure on Young Adult Development

 

PUBLICATIONS LAST 5 YEARS:

Singer, LT, Powers, G., Min, M., Minnes, S. Kim, J., Cognitive and functional outcomes at age 21 after prenatal cocaine/polydrug exposure and foster/adoptive care, Neurotoxicology and Teratology, online 6 January 2023, 107151

Min, M., Minnes, S., Momotaz, H., Singer, L., Wasden, A., Bearer, C., Fatty acid ethyl esters and adolescent substance use, Neurotoxicology and Teratology, 83, 2021, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ntt.2020.106946

          Kim, J., Minnes, S., Ridenour, T., Perzynski, A. Min, J., Singer, L.T., Attitudinal tolerance of deviance in at-risk early adolescents, Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research, 2020, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1086/712810

          Singer. L. T., Lewis, B., Noland, J. A Commentary on: Totality of the evidence suggests prenatal cannabis exposure does not lead to cognitive Impairments: A Systematic and critical review. By Torres CA, Medina-Kirchner C, O'Malley KY, Hart CL. Front Psychol. 2020 May 8;11:816. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00816. PMID: 32457680; PMCID: PMC7225289.

          Min, M., Lewis, B., Minnes, S., Gonzalez-Pons, K., Kim, J., Singer, L.T. Blood lead levels, language competency, and substance use in adolescence, Environmental Research, 2021,. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2021.112273

          Min, M., Kim, J., Minnes, S., Kim, S., Rose, D., Singer, L. T. Substance use and individual assets in urban adolescents: Subgroups and correlates in emerging adulthood, Journal of Adolescence,2022, 94, Issue 4, 684-697.

          Powers, G., Lewis, B., Min, M., Minnes, S., Kim, J., Kim, S., Singer, L. T., The Association of prenatal cocaine exposure with expressive and receptive language skills, Phonological processing and reading ability at age 17, Neurotoxicology and Teratology,95, 2023,107135

          Kim, J. Y., Minnes, S., Min, M. O., Kim, S. K., Powers, G., Lang, A., Weishample, P., Short, E. J., & Singer, L. T. Self-reported mental health symptoms in prenatally cocaine exposed adolescents at age 17. Neurotoxicology and Teratology,94, 2022. 

Bilimoria D, Singer LT. Institutions Developing Excellence in Academic Leadership (IDEAL): A partnership to advance gender equity, diversity, and inclusion in academic STEM. Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion: An International Journal 2019. doi.org/10.1108/EDI-10-2017-0209

          Singer L. Response letter to Qiu et al. Drug and Alcohol Dependence. 2020 Jan;206:107777. DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2019.107777. PMID: 31813600.

           Singer, L.T., Chambers, C., Coles, C. Kable, J., . Fifty years of research on prenatal substances: Lessons learned for the opioid epidemic. ADV RES SCI (2020), 1:223-234. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42844-020-00021-7

         Beasley LO, Ciciolla L, Jespersen JE, Chiaf AL, Schmidt M, Shreffler KM, Breslin FJ, Bakhireva LN, Sanjuan PM, Stephen JM, Coles CD, Chambers CD, Kable JA, Leeman L, Singer LT, Zellner J, Morris AS, Croff JM. Best practices for engaging pregnant and postpartum women at risk of substance use in longitudinal research studies: A Qualitative examination of participant preferences. Advers Resil Sci. 2020 Oct 28:1-12. doi: 10.1007/s42844-020-00019-1. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33134976; PMCID: PMC7592139.

         Singer, LT, Min, M, Momotaz, H., Powers, g. Minnes, S., Bearer, C. Association of fatty acid ethyl esters in meconium with behavior during childhood. Drug and Alcohol Dependence,. 2021 Jan 1;218:108437. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2020.108437. Epub 2020 Nov 25. PMID: 33257196.

         Min, M, Albert, J., Lorinca-Comib, N, Minnes, S. Lester, B., Momotaz, H., Powers, G., Singer, L.T., Prenatal substance exposure and developmental trajectories of internalizing symptoms: Toddlerhood to preadolescence, Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 2020, on line 11/25/20/.

 

Additional Information

Contributions to science:

  • Addressed understanding influences on the outcomes of high-risk infants
  • Understanding developmental neurotoxicology
  • Led the only studies worldwide to investigate effects of 3.4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine during pregnancy
  • Participated in studies of infant development

Student and mentee totals, over ǿմý career/full academic career:

  • PhD: 16              
  • Post-doc:  2
  • A sampling of ǿմý PhD graduates and Postdoctoral fellows’ current careers: 
    • Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences 
    • Vanderbilt University
    • Children’s National Medical Center  
    • The University of Vermont 
    • Ohio State University