Scott Roberts, PhD comes to CSMTS from the University of Michigan School of Public Health (U-M SPH), where he is Associate Professor of Health Behavior and Health Education. Dr. Roberts directs the U-M SPH Public Health Genetics program, co-directs a dual degree program in Public Health and Genetic Counseling, and serves as a core faculty member in the U-M Center for Bioethics and Social Sciences in Medicine. Dr. Roberts' research addresses ethical and psychosocial issues involved in disclosing genetic risk information for adult-onset conditions in both medical (Alzheimer’s disease) and direct-to-consumer contexts. He has studied participants’ motivations and interests in genetic testing, the psychological impact of providing risk disclosure, and health behavior changes prompted by risk assessment. He has also examined ethical and practical issues involved in the returning of results to individuals enrolled in genetics research. Dr. Roberts teaches graduate level courses on Public Health Ethics and Genetics, Health Behavior and Health Education.

Sample papers

Roberts, J. S. (2012). Genetic testing for Alzheimer’s risk: Benefit or burden? Neurodegenerative Disease Management, 2(2), 141-44.

Roberts, J. S., Chen, C., Uhlmann, W., & Green R. C. (2012). Effectiveness of a condensed protocol for disclosing APOE genotype and providing risk education for Alzheimer’s disease: The REVEAL Study. Genetics in Medicine, 14, 742-48. [PMID: 22498844]

Roberts, J.S., Christensen, K. D., & Green, R. C. (2011). Using Alzheimer’s disease as a model for genetic risk disclosure: Implications for personal genomics. Clinical Genetics, 80, 407-14. [PMCID: PMC3191239]

Roberts, J. S., Shalowitz, D. I., Christensen, K. D., Everett, J., Kim, S., Raskin, L., & Gruber, S. B. (2010). Returning individual research results: Development of a cancer genetics education and risk communication protocol. Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics, 3, 17-30. [PMCID: PMC3159194]

Roberts, J. S., & Tersegno, S. (2010). Estimating and disclosing the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease: Challenges, controversies and future directions. Future Neurology, 5, 501-17. [PMCID: PMC2941213]