Dr. Maxwell is a national expert on substance abuse trends and is Senior Research Professor, Center for Social Work Research, at the University of Texas. She is one of 21 epidemiologists nationwide who report substance abuse trends for a work group established by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Before joining the University of Texas, she was chief of research at the Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse. Dr. Maxwell is a recipient of a Fulbright Senior Scholar award to provide consultation on the development of a study of methamphetamine use by long-distance truck drivers in Australia.