Research Initiatives
The Division of Addiction Research and Treatment receives extensive external funding for its research and clinical initiatives. The projects below are organized by primary research focus to make it easier for patients, partners and funders to find relevant work.
Our primary research areas include:
- Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) Retention and Adherence
- Telemedicine and Technology-Enabled Care
- Pharmacogenetics and Medication Trials
- Health Disparities and Underserved Populations
- Patient-Centered and Community-Engaged Studies
- Cross-Institutional Collaborations
- Workforce Training and Education
Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) Retention and Adherence
This work tests peer recovery coach models, behavioral interventions and treatment adaptations aimed at keeping patients in methadone and other MAT programs longer and improving the outcomes they experience while in care. Several studies focus specifically on low-income and minority populations, examining how factors such as stigma and disruptions like the COVID-19 pandemic affect retention, and exploring psychosocial and placebo-based adjuncts that could further strengthen treatment outcomes.
Telemedicine and Technology-Enabled Care
This research evaluates how mobile apps, remote monitoring and telemedicine platforms can extend opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment to patients who face geographic or logistical barriers to in-person care, including those in rural communities and criminal justice settings. Studies in this area test whether digital tools can help predict relapse risk, guide dosing decisions and deliver behavioral support alongside medication, with the goal of making evidence-based treatment accessible outside traditional clinic settings.
Pharmacogenetics and Medication Trials
This research explores how genetic and biological markers can help predict which patients will respond best to specific medications for alcohol use disorder (AUD), including agents targeting heavy drinking and co-occurring conditions. By identifying biomarkers and genotype-based predictors, these studies aim to move toward more individualized, precision-based approaches to AUD treatment.
Health Disparities and Underserved Populations
This work centers on high-risk, low-income and minority populations, examining how structural barriers affect access to and retention in mental health and substance use care. Studies in this area look at patient engagement and service linkage, navigation support to reduce rehospitalization, and long-term outcomes such as co-occurring psychiatric illness, overdose and infectious disease among people with OUD.
Patient-Centered and Community-Engaged Studies
This work brings patients with lived experience directly into the research process, from shaping study priorities to guiding models of care. It reflects the Division's commitment to research that is responsive to the communities it serves, including efforts to improve care models for patients managing co-occurring conditions such as hepatitis C alongside substance use.
Cross-Institutional Collaborations
These projects pair the Division's clinical and treatment expertise with the geospatial mapping and epidemiological resources of the University of Maryland, College Park. Together, these collaborations examine where and how patients access treatment, track emerging substance use trends and identify novel and evolving drug threats in the community.
Workforce Training and Education
The Division supports training programs that build the skills of healthcare professionals to identify and respond to substance use, including screening, brief intervention and referral to treatment practices designed to strengthen the broader addiction care workforce.