Faculty

Esa Davis, MD, MPH, FAAFP

Dr. Davis is the Director of the UPMC Tobacco Treatment Service. Her research focuses on reducing risk factors such as hypertension, obesity, smoking, and patient attitudes associated with cardiovascular disease.

Walid F. Gellad, MD, MPH

Director, Center for Pharmaceutical Policy and Prescribing

Dr. Gellad's research focuses on physician prescribing practices and on policy issues affecting access and adherence to medications for patients. He has studied opioid use in the veteran population, specifically those receiving care from multiple health systems.

Kevin L. Kraemer, MD, MSc

Dr. Kraemer’s research interests are in the delivery and implementation of patient-centered strategies for the detection and early intervention of unhealthy alcohol and drug use, the application of cost-effectiveness methodology to alcohol and drug detection and treatment programs, and the comparative effectiveness of alcohol and drug addiction treatment on HIV outcomes and quality of HIV care.

Jane Liebschutz, MD, MPH, FACP

Dr. Liebschutz’s research is focused on developing interventions to combat the current crisis in opioid use disorders. More broadly, her research focuses on substance use, violence, and mental health within the practice of general medical care.

Jessica S. Merlin, MD, PhD, MBA

Director, Challenges in Managing and Preventing Pain Clinical Research Center

Dr. Merlin's research focuses on chronic pain in people living with HIV (PLWH), and more generally, individuals with comorbid mental illness and addiction. Her studies range from pathogenesis to clinical epidemiology to behavioral interventions.

Jaime E. Sidani, PhD, MPH, CHES

Assistant Director, Center for Behavioral Health, Media, and Technology

Dr. Sidani's research interests include adolescent health behavior and tobacco use prevention, with a specific focus on media and technology.

J. Deanna Wilson, MD, MPH

Dr. Wilson's research interests include reducing substance use-related health disparities, with an emphasis on opioid use disorders in adolescent and adult populations. Her work includes integrating harm reduction into primary care settings, developing low threshold models of care to improve engagement and retention of vulnerable populations, and improving resilience and coping using mindfulness as a strategy to mitigate chronic pain.