Michael Harris, Ph.D.

Michael Harris Department:Psychology
Director of Psychology

Degreed from Alliant International University, 1992

Michael A. Harris, Ph. D. is the Director of Psychology in the Child Development and Rehabilitation Center at Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU). Prior to coming to OHSU in August of 2006, Dr. Harris held a research faculty appointment in the Department of Pediatrics at Washington University School of Medicine since 1993 and prior to that he was a visiting faculty at the University of Missouri - Columbia. Dr. Harris trained in psychology at Colorado State University (BS–1984) and attended graduate school in child clinical psychology at The University of Memphis (MS–1986) and Alliant International University in San Diego, California (PhD–1992). Dr. Harris completed a doctoral residency at Human Services, Inc. in Oakdale, Minnesota and post-doctoral fellowship in Health Services Training at the University of Missouri – Columbia in the Department of Psychology.

Dr. Harris has spent his career working with children, adolescents and families. Clinically, Dr. Harris has worked with families of children and adolescents with a variety of psychological and behavioral problems with particular focus on children with chronic health conditions. Dr. Harris' research has involved the adaptation, implementation and evaluation of a family-based psychosocial intervention for adolescents with chronic illness and their families. Dr. Harris has served as both Principal and Co-Principal Investigator on several grants, three of which were funded through the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Harris has delivered over 100 lectures on a variety of topics to professionals as well as laypersons.

Dr. Harris is a member of the American Psychological Association, Society of Pediatric Psychology, American Diabetes Association, and Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America. He has also served on the Medical Advisory Committee of the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America, Gateway Chapter and on the Mental Health Advisory Committee of LOGOS School in St. Louis, Missouri. In addition, Dr. Harris sits on the editorial board of Diabetes Care and is a regular ad hoc reviewer for a variety of journals including the Journal of Pediatric Psychology and Health Psychology.

Dr. Harris was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He played college tennis at Colorado State University and is an avid roller hockey player, basketball player, soccer player, skier, and baseball player. Dr. Harris lives in Portland with his wife (also a child clinical psychologist) and their three children.

Selected Publications

Harris MA & Lustman PJ (1998). The psychologist in diabetes care. Clin Diab 16(2), 91-93.

Harris MA, Greco P, Wysocki T, Elder CL, & White NH (1999). Chronically ill youths from single-parent, blended, and intact families: Assessing health-related and family functioning. Fam Sys Health, 17(2), 181-196.

Wysocki T, Harris MA, Greco P, Bubb J, Elder CL et al. (2000). Randomized controlled trial of behavior therapy for families of adolescents with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. J of Ped Psych, 25(1), 23-33.

Harris MA, Wysocki T, Sadler M, Wilkinson K, Harvey L, Buckloh L, Mauras N & White NH (2000). Validation of a structured interview for the assessment of diabetes self management. Diab Care 23(9), 1301-1303.

Harris MA, Greco P, Wysocki T, & White NH (2001). Family therapy for adolescents with diabetes: A litmus test for clinically meaningful change. Fam Sys Health 19(2), 159-168.

Harris MA, Mertlich D, & Rothweiler J (2001). Parenting the child with diabetes. Diab Spect 14(4), 182-184.

Harris MA & Mertlich D (2003). Piloting home-based family systems therapy for adolescents with poorly controlled diabetes. Childr Health Care 32(1), 65-79.

Wysocki T, Harris MA, Wilkinson K, Sadler M, Mauras N, & White NH (2003). Self management competence as a predictor of outcomes of intensive therapy or usual care in youth with type 1 diabetes. Diab Care 26(7), 2043-2047.

Harris MA Harris, BS & Mertlich D (2005). Piloting in-home family therapy for adolescents with poorly controlled diabetes: failure to maintain benefits at 6-month follow-up. J of Ped Psych.

Wysocki T, Harris MA, Buckloh L, Wilkinson K, Sadler M, Mauras N, & White NH (in-press). Self care autonomy and outcomes of intensive insulin therapy or usual care in youth with type 1 diabetes. J of Ped Psych.

Harris MA. Dogs, cats and diabetes (2006). Diab Spect 19(3).