Ken C. Winters, Ph.D., is a Senior Scientist at ORI (Minnesota location) and a consultant to the Center for Indigenous Behavioral Health at the University of Iowa. He previously was a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Minnesota, where he founded and directed the Center for Adolescent Substance Abuse Research for 25 years. He is also the co-founder of Smart Approaches to Marijuana Minnesota, a state-wide community public health awareness initiative.

His primary research interest is the prevention of youth substance use. Recent research with several ORI colleagues has focused on developing and testing personalized brief interventions to address unique problem profiles of youth with behavioral problems. He is on the editorial boards of the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, Journal of Child and Adolescent Substance Abuse, and the Psychology of Addictive Behaviors.  Dr. Winters has received numerous research grants from the National Institute of Health and various foundations to address adolescent health. He has published over 150 peer-reviewed articles and numerous book chapters during a more than 30 year period and is a frequent speaker and workshop trainer.