Pen Name:
None
Genres:
Humor, Memoir, Short Stories, Narrative Nonfiction (impaired driving, physician interviews convicted drunk drivers)
Bio
Sandra Lapham is a physician and researcher who’s spent over 25 years studying alcohol-impaired driving and how to prevent it. Board-certified in both internal medicine and addiction medicine, she led four major studies funded by the National Institutes of Health, exploring how alcohol use unfolds over time, how it intersects with mental health, and what happens after a DUI conviction. Much of her work draws from a court-mandated screening program she directed, which evaluated more than 10,000 offenders—including one cohort followed for 15 years.
Sandra has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles, with a strong focus on alcohol policy and impaired driving. Her research helped shut down New Mexico’s drive-up liquor windows in 1995 and has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Science News, and Cosmopolitan. She’s appeared on local TV and radio, and currently serves as a senior scientist emeritus at the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation. Recently, Sandra has also devoted her time to youth conservation efforts and wilderness search and rescue, often working alongside her search dog, Scout. This combines her passion for the outdoors with her commitment to public service.
More from Sandra
I’ve completed a narrative nonfiction manuscript titled Steering Towards Change: Understanding the Causes and Cures for Addiction Through the Life Stories of Drunk Drivers. The book weaves together personal narratives and public health insight to explore the roots of addiction and the possibilities for recovery. I’m currently seeking representation or a publishing partner.
Articles/Essays
Anthology Title: Unbreaking the Circle: Stories of Service
Published: May 20, 2025
“Good Boy, Good Soldier,” pp. 121-127.
This article shares the story of an interviewed Vietnam veteran, who continues to live with post-traumatic stress disorder. Through his reflections, he recounts the realities of combat and the lasting impact his tour of duty had on his life.
The circle often serves as a symbol of completeness. Military service, however, often breaks circles: of place, time, relationships (both with others and with self), and sometimes of life. This anthology, providing a platform for the military, their family members and caregivers, to tell their stories, seeks to mend those rifts. For many in the military, their experiences are so deeply seated as to be inseparable from their identities, so expressing them is made at risk of having not only their work, but themselves, misunderstood or rejected. But when, instead, their confidences are received and resonate, it helps reforge the circle of community which was broken by silence born of fear.