Sarah C Westen, PhD

Hear how I pronounce my name

Sarah Westen, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist and Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Clinical and Health Psychology at the University of Florida. Dr. Westen is Director of Diabetes Behavioral Medicine and Psychology, Assistant Director of Behavioral Research within the UF Diabetes Institute, and Assistant Director of the Clinical and Health Psychology Internship Program.

Dr. Westen completed advanced specialty training in pediatric type 1 diabetes as a Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF) National Psychology Fellow and previously trained at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as an Intramural Research Training Award (IRTA) Fellow. Her research has received recognition and funding support from the National Institutes of Health and the American Psychological Association. As Principal Investigator, she has led NIH-supported research focused on improving behavioral and clinical outcomes in diabetes. She has also served as a Co-Investigator on projects supported by the American Diabetes Association, the Helmsley Charitable Trust, Google, the Florida Department of Health, and other funding partners.

Dr. Westen's patient-oriented research focuses on behavioral, psychosocial, and family factors that influence health engagement, coping, resilience, quality of life, and adjustment across the spectrum of diabetes and chronic health conditions. Her current work emphasizes implementation science, clinical program development, and understanding the lived experiences of individuals and families affected by at-risk and early-stage type 1 diabetes following identification through islet autoantibody screening.

Clinically, Dr. Westen specializes in pediatric diabetes and the psychosocial care of children, adolescents, and young adults living with type 1 diabetes and other chronic health conditions. Her clinical practice emphasizes evidence-based assessment and intervention to support youth and families in navigating the psychological, behavioral, and developmental challenges of chronic illness.

Dr. Westen has held numerous national and international leadership roles in diabetes care, behavioral medicine, and psychology. She currently serves as a member of the Georgia Center for Diabetes Translation Research (GCDTR), an NIH-funded research center focused on advancing diabetes translation and implementation science, and the American Diabetes Association (ADA) Youth Strategies Committee. She previously served as Program Chair of the ADA Latest Innovations & Technologies in Type 1 Diabetes Program (2021–2023); Chair of the ADA Psychosocial Subcommittee of the Youth Strategies Committee (2021–2023); Program Chair of the ADA Mental Health Case Study Continuing Education Program; a member of the ADA Scientific Sessions New Technology Subcommittee Planning Group; Chair of the Diabetes Special Interest Group of the American Psychological Association; a member of the Diabetes Consortium in Psychosocial Screening; a member of the Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF) Psychosocial Advisory Committee; and a member of the Grant Review Board for the Stanford Diabetes Research Center.