Lightfoot earner her doctorate in counseling psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).[4] As a student, she received the Ann C. Rosenfield Distinguished Community Partnership Award in 2008.[5] As a new scientist, Lightfoot was a member of the APA Leadership Institute for Women in Psychology.[6]
Lightfoot received the American Psychological Association Award for Distinguished Early Career Contributions to Psychology in the Public Interest in 2012.[12] Her award citation emphasized "her leadership, innovation, and commitment to applying psychological principles to develop behavioral health interventions for vulnerable populations, particularly homeless adolescents and racial/ethnic groups."[13]
Representative publications
Lightfoot, M. (2012). HIV prevention for adolescents: Where do we go from here? American Psychologist , 67 (8), 661-671. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0029831
Lightfoot, M., Comulada, W. S., & Stover, G. (2007). Computerized HIV preventive intervention for adolescents: Indications of efficacy. American Journal of Public Health , 97 (6), 1027-1030. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2005.072652
Lightfoot, M., Rotheram-Borus, M. J., & Tevendale, H. (2007). An HIV-preventive intervention for youth living with HIV. Behavior Modification, 31 (3), 345–363. https://doi.org/10.1177/0145445506293787
Lightfoot, M., Swendeman, D., Rotheram-Borus, M. J., Comulada, W. S., & Weiss, R. (2005). Risk behaviors of youth living with HIV: pre-and post-HAART. American Journal of Health Behavior , 29 (2), 162-172. https://doi.org/10.5993/AJHB.29.2.7
Rotheram-Borus, M. J., Lightfoot, M., Moraes, A., Dopkins, S., & LaCour, J. (1998). Developmental, ethnic, and gender differences in ethnic identity among adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Research, 13 (4), 487–507.https://doi.org/10.1177/0743554898134006