Adjunct Faculty
Adjunct faculty typically have an academic or research appointment at another institution and contribute or collaborate with one or more School of Medicine faculty members or programs.
Adjunct rank detailsFederico E Vaca, MD, MPH
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Professor Adjunct
Biography
Dr. Vaca is Professor Adjunct in the Yale School of Medicine's Department of Emergency Medicine.
He is a board-certified emergency medicine physician and physician-scientist. He previously served as a Medical Fellow for the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in Washington, D.C. Over the last 20 years, his research has focused on occupant safety, adolescent development and behaviors that influence the risk of motor vehicle crash injury as well as health disparities in injury and alcohol use disorders. His research has been funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), NIH’s Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR), and the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). Dr. Vaca has chaired and served on several NIH scientific review committees, chaired national expert panels directed by the National Academies of Sciences, Medicine, and Engineering’s Transportation Research Board, and previously served on the Board of Scientific Counselors for the CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control.
Last Updated on June 08, 2023.
Appointments
Emergency Medicine
Professor AdjunctPrimaryChild Study Center
Professor AdjunctSecondary
Other Departments & Organizations
Education & Training
- MPH
- University of California at Los Angeles (2002)
- Medical Fellow
- U.S. Department of Transportation and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) (2002)
- Fellow
- University of California-San Diego (1996)
- Resident
- University of California-Irvine Medical Center (1995)
- Chief Resident
- University of California, Irvine (1995)
- MD
- Creighton University School of Medicine (1992)
Research
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Overview
Medical Research Interests
Accident Prevention; Adolescent; Adolescent Development; Behavioral Medicine; Behavioral Research; Emergency Medicine; Healthcare Disparities; Motor Vehicles; Social Behavior
ORCID
0000-0002-8652-3755
Research at a Glance
Yale Co-Authors
Frequent collaborators of Federico E Vaca's published research.
Publications Timeline
A big-picture view of Federico E Vaca's research output by year.
Research Interests
Research topics Federico E Vaca is interested in exploring.
James Dziura, MPH, PhD
Barbara Banz, PhD
Kaigang Li, PhD
Antonio Riera, MD
Leslie Curry, PhD, MPH
Deepa Camenga, MD, MHS, FAAP
109Publications
1,109Citations
Adolescent
Emergency Medicine
Motor Vehicles
Publications
2026
Utah’s Move from 0.08 to 0.05 BAC Per Se Policy: Effects on Driver Crash Fatalities Compared to Contiguous States
Li K, Fell J, Hosseinichimeh N, Hu S, Vaca F. Utah’s Move from 0.08 to 0.05 BAC Per Se Policy: Effects on Driver Crash Fatalities Compared to Contiguous States. American Journal Of Preventive Medicine 2026, 108380. PMID: 42167382, PMCID: PMC13271174, DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2026.108380.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsCrash fatalitiesDifference-in-differences analysisContiguous statesAlcohol-related crash fatalitiesFatality Analysis Reporting SystemPublic health importanceEvidence-based policyDifference-in-differences estimationMeaningful decreaseDifference-in-differencesBlood alcohol concentrationBlood alcohol concentration lawsBlood alcohol concentration levelsHealth importanceEarly effectsReporting systemAlcohol concentration levelsSE policyPolicyFatalitiesTrends in alcohol-involved crashes among young California drivers before, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic
Lotito A, Vaca F, Hu S, Hill L, Griswold J, Li K. Trends in alcohol-involved crashes among young California drivers before, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal Of Transport & Health 2026, 49: 102322. PMID: 42170659, PMCID: PMC13189544, DOI: 10.1016/j.jth.2026.102322.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAn adapted brief negotiation interview for alcohol and cannabis use among assault-injured emerging adults: A randomized pilot trial protocol
Coupet E, Dodington J, D'Onofrio G, Stover C, Dziura J, Vega C, Couvertier E, Latham E, Gawel M, Fiellin D, Fretz S, Vaca F. An adapted brief negotiation interview for alcohol and cannabis use among assault-injured emerging adults: A randomized pilot trial protocol. Contemporary Clinical Trials 2026, 164: 108287. PMID: 41839387, PMCID: PMC13033190, DOI: 10.1016/j.cct.2026.108287.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsBrief Negotiation InterviewCannabis misuseEmergency departmentCannabis useAssault-injuredBehavioral interventionsSubstance misuseAssault injuriesBrief behavioral interventionsPsychosocial risk factorsPilot Randomized TrialPilot trial protocolRandomized trialsReceive careED settingEmerging AdultsCannabisRisk of morbidityTrial protocolRisk factorsPilot studyAdultsAlcoholInterventionMisuse
2025
Greater readiness to cut down on drinking behaviors increases effects of a digital behavioral health intervention tool in reducing unhealthy alcohol use among Latino emergency department patients
Li K, Jolly T, Dziura J, Vaca F. Greater readiness to cut down on drinking behaviors increases effects of a digital behavioral health intervention tool in reducing unhealthy alcohol use among Latino emergency department patients. Alcohol And Alcoholism 2025, 60: agaf062. PMID: 41020495, PMCID: PMC12477594, DOI: 10.1093/alcalc/agaf062.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsUnhealthy alcohol useHealth intervention toolDrinking behaviorAlcohol useEmergency departmentED patientsAlcohol Use Disorders Identification Test scoresDrinking ratioAverage weekly drinksBinge drinking episodesIntervention toolSpanish-speaking patientsEmergency department patientsAlcohol severityUnhealthy drinking behaviorsScreening interventionsDrinking episodesLatino adultsUnhealthy drinkingBaseline readinessWeekly drinkingAlcohol interventionsBehavioral healthLinear mixed modelsGeneralized linear mixed modelsRiding With Alcohol-Impaired Drivers in Fatal Crashes: Modeling Historical Trends and Future Projections Using a System Dynamics Approach.
Hosseinichimeh N, MacDonald R, Li K, Fell J, Haynie D, Simons-Morton B, Banz B, Camenga D, Iannotti R, Curry L, Dziura J, Andersen D, Vaca F. Riding With Alcohol-Impaired Drivers in Fatal Crashes: Modeling Historical Trends and Future Projections Using a System Dynamics Approach. Journal Of Studies On Alcohol And Drugs 2025, 86: 849-861. PMID: 39913281, PMCID: PMC12576931, DOI: 10.15288/jsad.24-00199.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsConceptsFatal crashesImpaired driversFatality Analysis Reporting SystemAlcohol-impaired driverSystem dynamics simulation modelSystem dynamics approachFemale driversYoung driversAlternative transportationPassengerCrashesDriver-passengerDriversIncreased enforcementTripsUnintended consequencesSimulation modelHistorical dataFatalitiesSensitivity analysisInvestigate factorsMultiple scenariosDynamic simulation modelReporting systemDynamic approach
2024
How the cognitive load of simulated driving affects the brain dynamics underlying auditory attention
Banz B, Wu J, Camenga D, Mayes L, Crowley M, Vaca F. How the cognitive load of simulated driving affects the brain dynamics underlying auditory attention. Traffic Injury Prevention 2024, 25: s167-s174. PMID: 39485699, DOI: 10.1080/15389588.2024.2373950.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsConceptsBrain responses to auditory stimuliResponses to auditory stimuliAuditory attentional processingCortical regionsTarget tonesNo-Load ConditionTemporal cortical regionsRight frontal cortical regionsTarget earFrontal cortical regionsMotor vehicle crashesAlpha responsesBrain levelsPosterior cortical regionsTheta oscillationsEvent-related brain responsesTheta powerBrain-based measuresAuditory stimuliAuditory attentionEarly time windowStudy designVehicle crashesCognitive loadWorking memoryIndividual and social-environmental factors among young drivers informing decisions to ride with an impaired driver and drive impaired: A sequential mixed methods assessment
Vaca F, Camenga D, Li K, Zuniga V, Banz B, Iannotti R, Grayton C, Simons-Morton B, Haynie D, Curry L. Individual and social-environmental factors among young drivers informing decisions to ride with an impaired driver and drive impaired: A sequential mixed methods assessment. Traffic Injury Prevention 2024, 25: s15-s24. PMID: 39485697, PMCID: PMC11563878, DOI: 10.1080/15389588.2024.2368595.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsConceptsInterview transcriptsHealth-related quality of lifeLongitudinal nationally representative studyMixed methods assessmentHealth-related qualityQualitative interview guideSequential explanatory mixed methods approachNEXT Generation Health StudyExplanatory mixed methods approachNationally Representative StudySocial environmental factorsStage 1 findingsAssessment of impairmentQuality of lifeMixed methods approachHealth StudyInterview guideData immersionJoint displaysMeasures of resilienceQualitative interviewsLatent class analysisRepresentative studyQualitative dataImpaired driversMindfulness, crashes, and risky driving behaviors among adolescents and young adults in the United States
Ehsani J, Duren M, Koppel S, Vaca F, Hellinger A, Grant B, Sabit A, Yenokyan G. Mindfulness, crashes, and risky driving behaviors among adolescents and young adults in the United States. Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives 2024, 28: 101248. DOI: 10.1016/j.trip.2024.101248.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsAttention Awareness ScaleMindfulness scoresRisky driving behaviorsAwareness ScaleMindful Attention Awareness ScaleAttention deficit hyperactivity disorderMindfulness training interventionDeficit hyperactivity disorderNational Opinion Research Center's AmeriSpeak PanelMindfulness trainingHyperactivity disorderDriving behaviorYouth Risk Behavior SurveyRisk Behavior SurveyAdolescentsYoung adultsMindfulnessAdolescent driving behaviorRisky drivingSpline regression analysisBehavior SurveyProtective factorsTraining interventionAmeriSpeak panelDriving measuresCongruency of Crash- and Hospital- Reported Injuries Among Child Passengers
Sartin E, Pfeiffer M, Hartka T, Zonfrillo M, Vaca F, Metzger K, Goodman A, Curry A, Myers R. Congruency of Crash- and Hospital- Reported Injuries Among Child Passengers. American Journal Of Preventive Medicine 2024, 67: 841-848. PMID: 39025247, PMCID: PMC11585451, DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2024.07.008.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsCrash reportsChild passengersInjury informationRestraint typeChild ageBody region of injuryInjury severityFrequency of injuriesChild injury riskNew Jersey dataPublic health effortsReporting accuracySafety resourcesReport injuriesCrash scenePassengerInjury frequencyCrashesBody regionsProportion of childrenChild restraint systemsInjury riskHealth effortsInjury locationRestraint systemsThe Phenomenon of Teen Delay in Driving Licensure: Considerations at the Intersection of Mobility and Social Welfare for Emerging Adults.
Vaca F, Drabo E, Li K. The Phenomenon of Teen Delay in Driving Licensure: Considerations at the Intersection of Mobility and Social Welfare for Emerging Adults. The Journal Of Law, Medicine & Ethics 2024, 52: 81-84. PMID: 38995254, DOI: 10.1017/jme.2024.42.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH Keywords and Concepts
Academic Achievements & Community Involvement
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Activities
activity Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine
Professional OrganizationsBoard Memberactivity Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine
Professional OrganizationsCommittee Memberactivity Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, Committee on Operator Education and Regulation, ANB30
04/01/2013 - PresentCommitteesMemberactivity Appointments and Promotions Committee - Yale University School of Medicine
CommitteesCommittee Memberactivity Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, Committee on Simulation and Measurement of Vehicle and Operator Performance, AND30
04/15/2016 - PresentCommitteesMember
Honors
honor Leffell Prize for Clinical Excellence
04/01/2019Yale School of Medicine AwardYale School of MedicineDetailsUnited Stateshonor Board of Scientific Counselors
01/27/2017National AwardCenters for Disease Control and Prevention, National Centers for Injury Prevention and ControlDetailsUnited Stateshonor National Faculty Teaching Award
06/20/2013National AwardAmerican College of Emergency PhysiciansDetailsUnited Stateshonor California State Traffic Safety Achievement Award
04/01/2007Regional AwardCalifornia Office of Traffic SafetyDetailsUnited Stateshonor AAMC, Humanism in Medicine Award
01/01/2005National AwardAssociation of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), University of California, Irvine-School of MedicineDetailsUnited States
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