NCFR member Gizem Erdem, Ph.D., LMFT, is the recipient of the Turkish Academy of Sciences Outstanding Young Scientist Award. This award is presented to scientists under the age 40, in engineering, natural, medical, and social sciences, who show promise with their scholarly work nationally and internationally. The award also recognizes recipients as members of the Turkish Academy of Sciences with research funding for up to three years.

Dr. Erdem received her award from the president of Turkey in December 2021 and she is the sole recipient of the award in the area of psychology. Her project will cover an adaptation, implementation, and outcome evaluation of a brief family-focused, evidence-based intervention for substance-misusing adolescents and their families in low income neighborhoods in Istanbul. 

Dr. Erdem is an associate professor of psychology at Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey. Her research interests are program evaluation of preventive and treatment interventions targeting at-risk youth and their families. She is particularly interested in youth mentoring and evidence-based family therapy in the treatment of substance use, juvenile delinquency, and relational problems.

Dr. Erdem is a recipient of NCFR's President-for-a-Day Award (2018) and is currently the chair-elect of NCFR's International Section.