Dr. Aalsma is a Professor of Pediatrics and Psychology, Director of the Adolescent Behavioral Health Research Program, and Director of the Children’s Health Services Division at the Indiana University School of Medicine. Trained as a child psychologist, Dr. Aalsma focuses his research with vulnerable populations, including youth in the mental health and juvenile justice systems. He became a faculty member in the Department of Pediatrics at the Indiana University School of Medicine in 2002. Since his initial appointment, his research has consistently been funded by the federal government, including National Institutes for Health, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and Health, and Health Resources and Services Administration.
His research agenda includes exploring system-wide and individual efforts to improve the utilization of mental and physical health care for children and adolescents. He has been leading the implementation science science-focused research to improve the health of children, adolescents, and adults through public healthcare collaboration and transformation. This includes local and state-wide collaboration with criminal justice, mental health, and public health serving agencies. Dr. Aalsma has published over 130 peer-reviewed articles and became the Jonathan and Jennifer Simmons Professor of Pediatrics in 2023.