Kim Thierry English
MEd, NCAC II, MAC, Public Health Advisor, Center for Substance Abuse Treatment
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Kim Thierry English has been a Public Health Advisor with the Center for Substance Abuse, Division of Services Improvement, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) since 2007 and has been in the behavioral health/substance use disorder field for over 30 years. Currently, she is Program Lead for the MAT-PDOA (Medication Assisted Treatment- Prescription Drug Opioid Abuse) Program and is an assigned Government Project Officer for Opioid STR grants. She has many years of clinical work in substance use disorders and mental health, and she has worked extensively in community outreach, business development, strategic planning and grant writing. She has worked as a peer reviewer with SAMHSA on various grant initiatives. She is the Founding President of the District of Columbia Addictive Disorders Services Providers Consortium and has served on the Board of Directors for the Center for Creative Non-Violence in Washington, D.C. She attended St. Gregory’s College in Shawnee, Oklahoma, graduated with a bachelor's degree in Sociology from Cameron University, in Lawton, Oklahoma, completed coursework toward a master's degree in business administration at Oklahoma City University Meinders School of Business, and received a master's degree in education in counseling from Boston University. Additionally, she has NCAC II and MAC Certifications.
SAMHSA Opioid STR: State-Specific, Evidenced-Based Approaches to Prevention, Treatment and Recovery Support to Reduce Opioid Related Deaths
MEd, NCAC II, MAC, Public Health Advisor, Center for Substance Abuse Treatment
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Kim Thierry English has been a Public Health Advisor with the Center for Substance Abuse, Division of Services Improvement, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) since 2007 and has been in the behavioral health/substance use disorder field for over 30 years. Currently, she is Program Lead for the MAT-PDOA (Medication Assisted Treatment- Prescription Drug Opioid Abuse) Program and is an assigned Government Project Officer for Opioid STR grants. She has many years of clinical work in substance use disorders and mental health, and she has worked extensively in community outreach, business development, strategic planning and grant writing. She has worked as a peer reviewer with SAMHSA on various grant initiatives. She is the Founding President of the District of Columbia Addictive Disorders Services Providers Consortium and has served on the Board of Directors for the Center for Creative Non-Violence in Washington, D.C. She attended St. Gregory’s College in Shawnee, Oklahoma, graduated with a bachelor's degree in Sociology from Cameron University, in Lawton, Oklahoma, completed coursework toward a master's degree in business administration at Oklahoma City University Meinders School of Business, and received a master's degree in education in counseling from Boston University. Additionally, she has NCAC II and MAC Certifications.
SAMHSA Opioid STR: State-Specific, Evidenced-Based Approaches to Prevention, Treatment and Recovery Support to Reduce Opioid Related Deaths
Mae Thompson
Student, Board Member
Rise Above Colorado
Mae Thompson serves on the Board of Directors for Rise Above Colorado. Her role is to provide youth voice and input through the cultivation of youth-adult partnerships. For the past five years Thompson has been an advocate for youth voice, in various capacities, at both local and state levels. Most recently she served two years as the Youth Partner for Rise Above Colorado where she focused on youth engagement across the state. She is passionate about creating environments where young people feel comfortable to speak up and share their opinions in order to create a more informed community. Thompson is currently a student at the University of Denver, graduating June 2018 with degrees in International Studies and Strategic Communication.
#IRiseAbove: Social Media and Engagement Strategies for Youth Substance Misuse Prevention
Student, Board Member
Rise Above Colorado
Mae Thompson serves on the Board of Directors for Rise Above Colorado. Her role is to provide youth voice and input through the cultivation of youth-adult partnerships. For the past five years Thompson has been an advocate for youth voice, in various capacities, at both local and state levels. Most recently she served two years as the Youth Partner for Rise Above Colorado where she focused on youth engagement across the state. She is passionate about creating environments where young people feel comfortable to speak up and share their opinions in order to create a more informed community. Thompson is currently a student at the University of Denver, graduating June 2018 with degrees in International Studies and Strategic Communication.
#IRiseAbove: Social Media and Engagement Strategies for Youth Substance Misuse Prevention
Sally Thoren
CADC, Executive Director - Chicago
Gateway Foundation
Sally Thoren has dedicated her career to the substance use disorder treatment field. She holds a bachelor's degree in political science from Carleton College, and she studied law at DePaul University in Chicago. Thoren has served in many direct care roles during her career, and she now serves as the Executive Director for Gateway’s services in Chicago. Additionally, she manages relationships with many institutional funders in Illinois, including the Division of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, HFS Medicaid and many local funders. Thoren notes how caring for those with substance use disorders has evolved over the past 35 years, from a fragmented, hierarchical “behavior modification” approach early in her career to our current person-centered, trauma-informed, medication-assisted, multidisciplinary approach. She has been a strident advocate for the field and client advocacy, earning her the Vince Bakeman Memorial Advocacy Award in 2010. In collaboration with the Medical Director, Thoren introduced Suboxone and medication assisted treatment to her agency when it was first available. Later, she proposed and implemented training all direct care staff in the use of naloxone at Gateway, a first in Illinois.
Project Warm Hand Off: From Rescue to Treatment
CADC, Executive Director - Chicago
Gateway Foundation
Sally Thoren has dedicated her career to the substance use disorder treatment field. She holds a bachelor's degree in political science from Carleton College, and she studied law at DePaul University in Chicago. Thoren has served in many direct care roles during her career, and she now serves as the Executive Director for Gateway’s services in Chicago. Additionally, she manages relationships with many institutional funders in Illinois, including the Division of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, HFS Medicaid and many local funders. Thoren notes how caring for those with substance use disorders has evolved over the past 35 years, from a fragmented, hierarchical “behavior modification” approach early in her career to our current person-centered, trauma-informed, medication-assisted, multidisciplinary approach. She has been a strident advocate for the field and client advocacy, earning her the Vince Bakeman Memorial Advocacy Award in 2010. In collaboration with the Medical Director, Thoren introduced Suboxone and medication assisted treatment to her agency when it was first available. Later, she proposed and implemented training all direct care staff in the use of naloxone at Gateway, a first in Illinois.
Project Warm Hand Off: From Rescue to Treatment
Alice Thornton
MD, Professor of Medicine, University of Kentucky College of Medicine
Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases, Medical Director, Bluegrass Care Clinic, University of Kentucky Medical Center
Dr. Alice Thornton completed her medical degree at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. She completed her residency at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Internal Medicine. She then completed her fellowship training with the Division of Infectious Diseases at Indiana University Purdue University, where she studied the pathogenesis of chancroid. She was recruited to assist in the development of an Infectious Diseases Fellowship Program at the University of Kentucky in 1998. Thornton has successfully acquired four grants funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) – Ryan White Part B, C and D and the Local Performance Site grant of the Southeast AIDS Training and Education Center. She serves as Medical Director of the Blue Grass Care Clinic. She is Principal Investigator of the National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded Reprieve Study – Randomized Clinical Trial to Prevent Vascular Events in HIV. Thornton is a clinical site visitor for HRSA, and also serves as a grant reviewer for HRSA, NIH and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). She recently was elected to the HIV Medicine Association Board of Directors. She is a Professor of Medicine in the University of Kentucky Department of Internal Medicine and Chief of the UK Division of Infectious Diseases.
Do the Next Right Thing: A Family-Centered and Multidisciplinary Approach to Substance Abuse Treatment among Perinatal Women
MD, Professor of Medicine, University of Kentucky College of Medicine
Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases, Medical Director, Bluegrass Care Clinic, University of Kentucky Medical Center
Dr. Alice Thornton completed her medical degree at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. She completed her residency at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Internal Medicine. She then completed her fellowship training with the Division of Infectious Diseases at Indiana University Purdue University, where she studied the pathogenesis of chancroid. She was recruited to assist in the development of an Infectious Diseases Fellowship Program at the University of Kentucky in 1998. Thornton has successfully acquired four grants funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) – Ryan White Part B, C and D and the Local Performance Site grant of the Southeast AIDS Training and Education Center. She serves as Medical Director of the Blue Grass Care Clinic. She is Principal Investigator of the National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded Reprieve Study – Randomized Clinical Trial to Prevent Vascular Events in HIV. Thornton is a clinical site visitor for HRSA, and also serves as a grant reviewer for HRSA, NIH and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). She recently was elected to the HIV Medicine Association Board of Directors. She is a Professor of Medicine in the University of Kentucky Department of Internal Medicine and Chief of the UK Division of Infectious Diseases.
Do the Next Right Thing: A Family-Centered and Multidisciplinary Approach to Substance Abuse Treatment among Perinatal Women
Vennela Thumula
PhD, Policy Analyst
Workers Compensation Research Institute
Dr. Vennela Thumula is a policy analyst at Workers Compensation Research Institute whose research focuses on pharmaceutical use in the workers’ compensation system. She is the author of several studies evaluating prescribing patterns of opioids, drug formularies and physician dispensing. She is conducting research examining the self-reported outcomes of injured workers, including recovery of health and functioning, speed and sustainability of return to work, and access to care. Thumula received her doctorate from the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy.
Workers’ Comp: Opioid Use Trends and Effective Population Health Management
PhD, Policy Analyst
Workers Compensation Research Institute
Dr. Vennela Thumula is a policy analyst at Workers Compensation Research Institute whose research focuses on pharmaceutical use in the workers’ compensation system. She is the author of several studies evaluating prescribing patterns of opioids, drug formularies and physician dispensing. She is conducting research examining the self-reported outcomes of injured workers, including recovery of health and functioning, speed and sustainability of return to work, and access to care. Thumula received her doctorate from the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy.
Workers’ Comp: Opioid Use Trends and Effective Population Health Management
Douglas Tieman
President and Chief Executive Officer
Caron Treatment Centers
Douglas Tieman has been the President and CEO of Caron Treatment Centers since 1995. Under his direction, Caron has taken leadership roles in treating addiction in young adults and adolescents, sponsoring research, and participating in national conferences on addiction and recovery. Tieman has spent 30 years in the addiction treatment field in treatment center and industry leadership positions. He began his career with the Hazelden Foundation, and has served as Chairman of the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers and a member of the American College of Addiction Treatment Administrators. He is currently a board member of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence and the American Foundation for Addiction Research, and serves on the Behavioral Healthcare Editorial Advisory Board.
Long-Term Recovery: The Essential Roles of Families and Addiction Treatment Providers
President and Chief Executive Officer
Caron Treatment Centers
Douglas Tieman has been the President and CEO of Caron Treatment Centers since 1995. Under his direction, Caron has taken leadership roles in treating addiction in young adults and adolescents, sponsoring research, and participating in national conferences on addiction and recovery. Tieman has spent 30 years in the addiction treatment field in treatment center and industry leadership positions. He began his career with the Hazelden Foundation, and has served as Chairman of the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers and a member of the American College of Addiction Treatment Administrators. He is currently a board member of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence and the American Foundation for Addiction Research, and serves on the Behavioral Healthcare Editorial Advisory Board.
Long-Term Recovery: The Essential Roles of Families and Addiction Treatment Providers
Tanner Turley
Research Analyst
Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services
Tanner Turley is a Research Analyst II with the Bureau of Health Care Analysis and Data Dissemination within the Department of Health and Senior Services for the State of Missouri. He’s been in his current position since April 2017, but has been with the state of Missouri since January 2016, having worked as a Research Analyst I with the Department of Economic Development on the Occupational Employment Statistics program. In his current role, Turley abstracts various data elements from Coroner/Medical Examiner Narratives, toxicology reports and death certificates for deaths that are ruled as opioid overdoses. He enters that information into a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention web-based application as part of the Enhanced State Opioid Overdose Surveillance program.
I’ve Got 99 Problems and a Centralized Medical Examiner System Isn’t One: Partnering with C/MEs
Research Analyst
Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services
Tanner Turley is a Research Analyst II with the Bureau of Health Care Analysis and Data Dissemination within the Department of Health and Senior Services for the State of Missouri. He’s been in his current position since April 2017, but has been with the state of Missouri since January 2016, having worked as a Research Analyst I with the Department of Economic Development on the Occupational Employment Statistics program. In his current role, Turley abstracts various data elements from Coroner/Medical Examiner Narratives, toxicology reports and death certificates for deaths that are ruled as opioid overdoses. He enters that information into a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention web-based application as part of the Enhanced State Opioid Overdose Surveillance program.
I’ve Got 99 Problems and a Centralized Medical Examiner System Isn’t One: Partnering with C/MEs
Tom Valentino
Senior Editor
Addiction Professional and Behavioral Healthcare Executive
Tom Valentino has more than 13 years of experience in the newspaper and communications industries. In his two years with the Institute for the Advancement of Behavioral Healthcare, he has covered major news and trends most relevant to the work of mental health and addiction treatment providers. Prior to joining the Institute, Valentino covered sports and breaking news in addition to leading a department as Business Editor of a suburban daily newspaper. He has extensive B2B and B2C marketing and public relations experience, creating content for print, digital and multimedia platforms, and hosts a weekly podcast in his spare time. Valentino is a graduate of the Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in communications with a specialization in news writing and editing.
Senior Editor
Addiction Professional and Behavioral Healthcare Executive
Tom Valentino has more than 13 years of experience in the newspaper and communications industries. In his two years with the Institute for the Advancement of Behavioral Healthcare, he has covered major news and trends most relevant to the work of mental health and addiction treatment providers. Prior to joining the Institute, Valentino covered sports and breaking news in addition to leading a department as Business Editor of a suburban daily newspaper. He has extensive B2B and B2C marketing and public relations experience, creating content for print, digital and multimedia platforms, and hosts a weekly podcast in his spare time. Valentino is a graduate of the Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in communications with a specialization in news writing and editing.
Robert Valuck
PhD, RPh, Director
Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention
Dr. Robert J. Valuck is a Professor in the Departments of Clinical Pharmacy, Epidemiology, and Family Medicine at the University of Colorado Schools of Pharmacy, Public Health, and Medicine at the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, Colorado. He is Director of the Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention, created by Gov. John Hickenlooper to address the Rx drug abuse problem with a collaborative, statewide approach. The donsortium has evolved over the past four years to include 10 work groups, with over 450 members across the state, focusing on key areas relating to education, prevention, intervention, treatment and recovery. The consortium has gained recognition as a model for the development of collaborative, coordinated responses to the opioid overdose epidemic in the United States.
United We Stand: Georgia’s Comprehensive Plan and Colorado’s Collective Impact Model
PhD, RPh, Director
Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention
Dr. Robert J. Valuck is a Professor in the Departments of Clinical Pharmacy, Epidemiology, and Family Medicine at the University of Colorado Schools of Pharmacy, Public Health, and Medicine at the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, Colorado. He is Director of the Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention, created by Gov. John Hickenlooper to address the Rx drug abuse problem with a collaborative, statewide approach. The donsortium has evolved over the past four years to include 10 work groups, with over 450 members across the state, focusing on key areas relating to education, prevention, intervention, treatment and recovery. The consortium has gained recognition as a model for the development of collaborative, coordinated responses to the opioid overdose epidemic in the United States.
United We Stand: Georgia’s Comprehensive Plan and Colorado’s Collective Impact Model
Julia Vieweg
MPA, Senior Analyst
U.S. Government Accountability Office
Julia Vieweg is a Senior Analyst at the Government Accountability Office (GAO). Starting at GAO in 2009, she has worked on a number of different issues spanning the federal government and currently works in GAO’s Homeland Security and Justice team on a project that is assessing U.S. efforts to combat illicit synthetic opioids. In addition to her current work, she has contributed to a number of projects on the federal prison system, border security and management of the Department of Homeland Security, among others. Prior to joining GAO, Vieweg worked as a teacher in Fairfax County (Virginia) Public Schools, an intern at the State Department’s Office of International Religious Freedom and as an AmeriCorps member serving in areas affected by Hurricane Katrina. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in politics and government, with an emphasis in international relations from the University of Puget Sound in 2005, and a master's degree in public administration, with a concentration in human rights and social justice from Cornell University in 2008.
Federal Efforts to Combat Synthetic Opioids
MPA, Senior Analyst
U.S. Government Accountability Office
Julia Vieweg is a Senior Analyst at the Government Accountability Office (GAO). Starting at GAO in 2009, she has worked on a number of different issues spanning the federal government and currently works in GAO’s Homeland Security and Justice team on a project that is assessing U.S. efforts to combat illicit synthetic opioids. In addition to her current work, she has contributed to a number of projects on the federal prison system, border security and management of the Department of Homeland Security, among others. Prior to joining GAO, Vieweg worked as a teacher in Fairfax County (Virginia) Public Schools, an intern at the State Department’s Office of International Religious Freedom and as an AmeriCorps member serving in areas affected by Hurricane Katrina. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in politics and government, with an emphasis in international relations from the University of Puget Sound in 2005, and a master's degree in public administration, with a concentration in human rights and social justice from Cornell University in 2008.
Federal Efforts to Combat Synthetic Opioids
Louise Vincent
MPH, Executive Director
Urban Survivors' Union
Louise Vincent, MPH, is a harm reductionist who has worked in the substance use and harm reduction fields for the last 10 years. She intimately understands the consequences of ineffective traditional drug treatment programs. She was treated in 2005 for HCV and has worked in a number of roles and capacities, including Program Director, Outreach specialist, Naloxone Consultant, Health Education Facilitator and Counselor. She assisted in the development and implementation of North Carolina's first harm reduction, hepatitis education, testing and linkage-to-care program and is a North Carolina certified HIV and Hepatitis C Counselor. She has been at the forefront of the harm reduction response to illicit drug use in North Carolina and is committed to preventing blood-borne virus transmission and drug-related deaths and improving the health of people who use drugs.
Drug Checking: A Novel Evidence-Based Strategy for Preventing Overdose
MPH, Executive Director
Urban Survivors' Union
Louise Vincent, MPH, is a harm reductionist who has worked in the substance use and harm reduction fields for the last 10 years. She intimately understands the consequences of ineffective traditional drug treatment programs. She was treated in 2005 for HCV and has worked in a number of roles and capacities, including Program Director, Outreach specialist, Naloxone Consultant, Health Education Facilitator and Counselor. She assisted in the development and implementation of North Carolina's first harm reduction, hepatitis education, testing and linkage-to-care program and is a North Carolina certified HIV and Hepatitis C Counselor. She has been at the forefront of the harm reduction response to illicit drug use in North Carolina and is committed to preventing blood-borne virus transmission and drug-related deaths and improving the health of people who use drugs.
Drug Checking: A Novel Evidence-Based Strategy for Preventing Overdose
Joshua Vinciguerra
JD, Director of Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement
New York State Department of Health
Joshua Vinciguerra is the Director of the Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement at the New York State Department of Health. He is a member of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Task Force to Combat Heroin. He currently serves on the Executive Committee of the National Association of State Controlled Substance Authorities and is a member of the National Alliance for Model State Drug Laws Resource Group on Novel Psychoactive Substances. Vinciguerra is a former federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York. He has served as an Assistant Attorney General in the New York State Attorney General’s Criminal Enforcement and Financial Crimes Bureau and as an Assistant District Attorney in the New York County District Attorney’s Office under Robert Morgenthau, where he prosecuted narcotics and weapons crimes in the Office of Special Narcotics and white-collar crime in the Frauds Bureau. He clerked in the New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Fourth Department, in Rochester, New York. He is a volunteer firefighter.
Advancing Science Into Action: Enhancing PDMPs and EHRs
JD, Director of Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement
New York State Department of Health
Joshua Vinciguerra is the Director of the Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement at the New York State Department of Health. He is a member of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Task Force to Combat Heroin. He currently serves on the Executive Committee of the National Association of State Controlled Substance Authorities and is a member of the National Alliance for Model State Drug Laws Resource Group on Novel Psychoactive Substances. Vinciguerra is a former federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York. He has served as an Assistant Attorney General in the New York State Attorney General’s Criminal Enforcement and Financial Crimes Bureau and as an Assistant District Attorney in the New York County District Attorney’s Office under Robert Morgenthau, where he prosecuted narcotics and weapons crimes in the Office of Special Narcotics and white-collar crime in the Frauds Bureau. He clerked in the New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Fourth Department, in Rochester, New York. He is a volunteer firefighter.
Advancing Science Into Action: Enhancing PDMPs and EHRs
Alana Vivolo-Kantor
PhD, MPH, Behavioral Scientist
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Dr. Alana Vivolo-Kantor is a Behavioral Scientist on the Overdose Epidemiology and Surveillance Team in the Division of Unintentional Injury Prevention at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) working on the Enhanced State Opioid Overdose Surveillance (ESOOS) grant. She serves as a Science Officer for several funded state health departments; manages the Emergency Department data delivery (including coordination and partnership with CDC’s NSSP/ESSENCE); and leads ESOOS dissemination efforts. Prior to coming to DUIP, she was a Behavioral Scientist in CDC’s Division of Violence Prevention in the Research and Evaluation Branch, where she focused on measurement, surveillance, etiologic research, and program evaluation activities for youth violence, bullying and teen dating violence.
Faster Data: The CDC-Funded Enhanced State Opioid Overdose Surveillance Program
PhD, MPH, Behavioral Scientist
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Dr. Alana Vivolo-Kantor is a Behavioral Scientist on the Overdose Epidemiology and Surveillance Team in the Division of Unintentional Injury Prevention at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) working on the Enhanced State Opioid Overdose Surveillance (ESOOS) grant. She serves as a Science Officer for several funded state health departments; manages the Emergency Department data delivery (including coordination and partnership with CDC’s NSSP/ESSENCE); and leads ESOOS dissemination efforts. Prior to coming to DUIP, she was a Behavioral Scientist in CDC’s Division of Violence Prevention in the Research and Evaluation Branch, where she focused on measurement, surveillance, etiologic research, and program evaluation activities for youth violence, bullying and teen dating violence.
Faster Data: The CDC-Funded Enhanced State Opioid Overdose Surveillance Program
Director Nora Volkow, MD MD
Director,
National Institute on Drug Abuse/National Institutes of Health
Nora D. Volkow, MD, became Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in May 2003. NIDA supports most of the world's research on the health aspects of drug abuse and addiction.
Dr. Volkow's work has been instrumental in demonstrating that drug addiction is a disease of the human brain. As a research psychiatrist and scientist, Dr. Volkow pioneered the use of brain imaging to investigate the toxic effects and addictive properties of abusable drugs. Her studies have documented changes in the dopamine system affecting, among others, the functions of frontal brain regions involved with motivation, drive, and pleasure in addiction. She has also made important contributions to the neurobiology of obesity, ADHD, and aging.
Dr. Volkow was born in Mexico, attended the Modern American School, and earned her medical degree from the National University of Mexico in Mexico City, where she received the Robins award for best medical student of her generation. Her psychiatric residency was at New York University, where she earned the Laughlin Fellowship Award as one of the 10 Outstanding Psychiatric Residents in the USA.
Dr. Volkow spent most of her professional career at the Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) in Upton, New York, where she held several leadership positions including Director of Nuclear Medicine, Chairman of the Medical Department, and Associate Director for Life Sciences. In addition, Dr. Volkow was a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Associate Dean of the Medical School at the State University of New York (SUNY)-Stony Brook.
Dr. Volkow has published more than 680 peer-reviewed articles and written more than 100 book chapters and non-peer-reviewed manuscripts, and has also edited four books on neuroimaging for mental and addictive disorders.
During her professional career, Dr. Volkow has been the recipient of multiple awards. In 2013, she was a Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal (Sammies) finalist and was inducted into the Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD) Hall of Fame. She was elected to membership in the Institute of Medicine in the National Academy of Sciences, received the International Prize from the French Institute of Health and Medical Research for her pioneering work in brain imaging and addiction science, and was awarded the Carnegie Prize in Mind and Brain Sciences from Carnegie Mellon University. She has been named one of Time magazine's "Top 100 People Who Shape Our World," "One of the 20 People to Watch" by Newsweek magazine, Washingtonian magazine's "100 Most Powerful Women" in both 2015 and 2017, "Innovator of the Year" by U.S. News & World Report, and one of "34 Leaders Who Are Changing Health Care" by Fortune magazine. Dr. Volkow was the subject of a 2012 profile piece by CBS's 60 Minutes and was a featured speaker at TEDMED 2014.
Plenary Session: Agency Update Part 1
Director,
National Institute on Drug Abuse/National Institutes of Health
Nora D. Volkow, MD, became Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in May 2003. NIDA supports most of the world's research on the health aspects of drug abuse and addiction.
Dr. Volkow's work has been instrumental in demonstrating that drug addiction is a disease of the human brain. As a research psychiatrist and scientist, Dr. Volkow pioneered the use of brain imaging to investigate the toxic effects and addictive properties of abusable drugs. Her studies have documented changes in the dopamine system affecting, among others, the functions of frontal brain regions involved with motivation, drive, and pleasure in addiction. She has also made important contributions to the neurobiology of obesity, ADHD, and aging.
Dr. Volkow was born in Mexico, attended the Modern American School, and earned her medical degree from the National University of Mexico in Mexico City, where she received the Robins award for best medical student of her generation. Her psychiatric residency was at New York University, where she earned the Laughlin Fellowship Award as one of the 10 Outstanding Psychiatric Residents in the USA.
Dr. Volkow spent most of her professional career at the Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) in Upton, New York, where she held several leadership positions including Director of Nuclear Medicine, Chairman of the Medical Department, and Associate Director for Life Sciences. In addition, Dr. Volkow was a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Associate Dean of the Medical School at the State University of New York (SUNY)-Stony Brook.
Dr. Volkow has published more than 680 peer-reviewed articles and written more than 100 book chapters and non-peer-reviewed manuscripts, and has also edited four books on neuroimaging for mental and addictive disorders.
During her professional career, Dr. Volkow has been the recipient of multiple awards. In 2013, she was a Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal (Sammies) finalist and was inducted into the Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD) Hall of Fame. She was elected to membership in the Institute of Medicine in the National Academy of Sciences, received the International Prize from the French Institute of Health and Medical Research for her pioneering work in brain imaging and addiction science, and was awarded the Carnegie Prize in Mind and Brain Sciences from Carnegie Mellon University. She has been named one of Time magazine's "Top 100 People Who Shape Our World," "One of the 20 People to Watch" by Newsweek magazine, Washingtonian magazine's "100 Most Powerful Women" in both 2015 and 2017, "Innovator of the Year" by U.S. News & World Report, and one of "34 Leaders Who Are Changing Health Care" by Fortune magazine. Dr. Volkow was the subject of a 2012 profile piece by CBS's 60 Minutes and was a featured speaker at TEDMED 2014.
Plenary Session: Agency Update Part 1
Lindsey Vuolo
JD, MPH, Associate Director of Health Law and Policy
The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse
Lindsey Vuolo is the Associate Director of Health Law and Policy at The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse and does legal, regulatory and policy work related to addiction prevention and treatment with a focus on healthcare system reform. Prior to joining the center, Vuolo worked in regulatory affairs for a managed care organization. She received a Juris Doctor from Northeastern University School of Law and Master of Public Health from Tufts Medical School. She graduated from Boston College.
Ending the Opioid Crisis: Solutions for State Policymakers
Coverage of Addiction Benefits in ACA Plans
JD, MPH, Associate Director of Health Law and Policy
The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse
Lindsey Vuolo is the Associate Director of Health Law and Policy at The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse and does legal, regulatory and policy work related to addiction prevention and treatment with a focus on healthcare system reform. Prior to joining the center, Vuolo worked in regulatory affairs for a managed care organization. She received a Juris Doctor from Northeastern University School of Law and Master of Public Health from Tufts Medical School. She graduated from Boston College.
Ending the Opioid Crisis: Solutions for State Policymakers
Coverage of Addiction Benefits in ACA Plans
Jennifer Waljee
MD, MS, Associate Professor of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
University of Michigan
Dr. Jennifer Waljee co-directs the Michigan Opioid Prescribing Engagement Network, or Michigan-OPEN, an initiative that seeks to transform pain management and curb opioid abuse in Michigan. Based at the University of Michigan Medical School and Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, it is a five-year initiative funded by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Waljee is an Associate Professor of Surgery in the Section of Plastic Surgery at the University of Michigan. Her research focuses on improving patient-centered outcomes following surgery across a variety of patient populations. Frequent topics include the efficacy of patient-reported outcomes as quality metrics in surgical collaborative quality improvement programs and variation in postoperative patient outcomes. Waljee earned her undergraduate and master’s degrees in public health and science at the University of Michigan and her medical degree at Emory University. She completed her general surgery residency training in 2009, and she spent an additional two years completing training in plastic and reconstructive surgery at the University of Michigan. In 2012, she completed a fellowship in hand surgery also at the University of Michigan.
A Public, Private Payer Partnership to Prevent Opioid Abuse and Transform Acute Care Pain Management
MD, MS, Associate Professor of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
University of Michigan
Dr. Jennifer Waljee co-directs the Michigan Opioid Prescribing Engagement Network, or Michigan-OPEN, an initiative that seeks to transform pain management and curb opioid abuse in Michigan. Based at the University of Michigan Medical School and Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, it is a five-year initiative funded by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Waljee is an Associate Professor of Surgery in the Section of Plastic Surgery at the University of Michigan. Her research focuses on improving patient-centered outcomes following surgery across a variety of patient populations. Frequent topics include the efficacy of patient-reported outcomes as quality metrics in surgical collaborative quality improvement programs and variation in postoperative patient outcomes. Waljee earned her undergraduate and master’s degrees in public health and science at the University of Michigan and her medical degree at Emory University. She completed her general surgery residency training in 2009, and she spent an additional two years completing training in plastic and reconstructive surgery at the University of Michigan. In 2012, she completed a fellowship in hand surgery also at the University of Michigan.
A Public, Private Payer Partnership to Prevent Opioid Abuse and Transform Acute Care Pain Management
Alexander Y. Walley
MD, MSc, Associate Professor of Medicine
Boston University School of Medicine
Alexander Y. Walley, MD, MSc, is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Boston University School of Medicine and a general internist and addiction medicine specialist at Boston Medical Center. He is the director of the Boston Medical Center Addiction Medicine Fellowship program. His research focus is on the medical complications of substance use, specifically HIV and overdose. He provides primary care and office-based addiction treatment for patients with HIV at Boston Medical Center and methadone maintenance treatment at Health Care Resource Centers. He is the medical director for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Opioid Overdose Prevention Pilot Program. Since 2007, that program has trained more than 60,000 people in Massachusetts’s communities, including people who use opioids, people in recovery and their social networks. Walley graduated from Harvard College, received his medical degree from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and received his master's degree in epidemiology from Boston University School of Public Health.
Heroin and Healthcare: Identifying Opportunities for Intervention Prior to Overdose
MD, MSc, Associate Professor of Medicine
Boston University School of Medicine
Alexander Y. Walley, MD, MSc, is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Boston University School of Medicine and a general internist and addiction medicine specialist at Boston Medical Center. He is the director of the Boston Medical Center Addiction Medicine Fellowship program. His research focus is on the medical complications of substance use, specifically HIV and overdose. He provides primary care and office-based addiction treatment for patients with HIV at Boston Medical Center and methadone maintenance treatment at Health Care Resource Centers. He is the medical director for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Opioid Overdose Prevention Pilot Program. Since 2007, that program has trained more than 60,000 people in Massachusetts’s communities, including people who use opioids, people in recovery and their social networks. Walley graduated from Harvard College, received his medical degree from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and received his master's degree in epidemiology from Boston University School of Public Health.
Heroin and Healthcare: Identifying Opportunities for Intervention Prior to Overdose
Meghan Wally
MSPH, Project Manager
Carolinas HealthCare System
Meghan Wally is a Project Manager in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Carolinas HealthCare System. She manages a body of research focused on Rx drug abuse, misuse and diversion and interventions to impact prescribing behavior, improve pain management and optimize patient safety. Wally is a certified health education specialist and a doctoral student in the Department of Public Health Sciences at University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Using EHR-Based Clinical Decision Supports to Affect Opioid Prescribing Behavior
MSPH, Project Manager
Carolinas HealthCare System
Meghan Wally is a Project Manager in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Carolinas HealthCare System. She manages a body of research focused on Rx drug abuse, misuse and diversion and interventions to impact prescribing behavior, improve pain management and optimize patient safety. Wally is a certified health education specialist and a doctoral student in the Department of Public Health Sciences at University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Using EHR-Based Clinical Decision Supports to Affect Opioid Prescribing Behavior
Assistant Secretary James A. Walsh
Deputy Assistant Secretary
International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Bureau
James A. Walsh has served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) since January 2015. In his capacity as Senior Bureau Official since December 2017, he is responsible for State Department programs and policies combating drugs and organized crime around the world, as well as support for law enforcement and rule of law. INL currently manages a portfolio of more than $4 billion in more than 90 countries.
From 2015 to 2017, he directed State Department law enforcement and rule of law assistance activities in Europe and Asia (excluding Pakistan and Afghanistan) and oversaw the Department's Air Wing and INL's resources.
He previously served as the Executive Director/Controller for the bureau where he led several efforts to strengthen criminal justice assistance programs including the development of an inter-agency Criminal Justice Sector Rating Tool. Prior to joining the Department, Mr. Walsh worked in the private sector for five years supporting Fortune 500 companies. He also served nearly eight years in the U.S. Army where he had several overseas deployments leading aviation units.
James Walsh was born and raised in Northern Indiana. He is a career member of the Senior Executive Service, has a bachelor's degree from West Point, and a master's degree in business administration from Bowie State University. Mr. Walsh received the Presidential Meritorious Rank Award in 2017.
Plenary Session
Deputy Assistant Secretary
International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Bureau
James A. Walsh has served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) since January 2015. In his capacity as Senior Bureau Official since December 2017, he is responsible for State Department programs and policies combating drugs and organized crime around the world, as well as support for law enforcement and rule of law. INL currently manages a portfolio of more than $4 billion in more than 90 countries.
From 2015 to 2017, he directed State Department law enforcement and rule of law assistance activities in Europe and Asia (excluding Pakistan and Afghanistan) and oversaw the Department's Air Wing and INL's resources.
He previously served as the Executive Director/Controller for the bureau where he led several efforts to strengthen criminal justice assistance programs including the development of an inter-agency Criminal Justice Sector Rating Tool. Prior to joining the Department, Mr. Walsh worked in the private sector for five years supporting Fortune 500 companies. He also served nearly eight years in the U.S. Army where he had several overseas deployments leading aviation units.
James Walsh was born and raised in Northern Indiana. He is a career member of the Senior Executive Service, has a bachelor's degree from West Point, and a master's degree in business administration from Bowie State University. Mr. Walsh received the Presidential Meritorious Rank Award in 2017.
Plenary Session
Terrence Walton
MSW, Chief Operating Officer
National Association of Drug Court Professionals
Terrence D. Walton, Chief Operating Officer for the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP), is among the nation’s leading experts in providing training and technical assistance to drug courts and other treatment courts internationally. Prior to being named COO in October 2015, he was the NADCP Chief of Standards. In addition to being responsible for the daily operation of NADCP and planning the national conference, he retains his responsibility for establishing and implementing best practice standards nationwide. Previously, Walton was Director of Treatment for the Pretrial Services Agency for the District of Columbia (PSA). During his 15 years at PSA, he directed operations that provide substance use disorder and mental health assessment, treatment and social services for all adults released under PSA supervision in the District of Columbia. Walton holds a bachelor's degree in psychology and a master's degree in social work, with specializations in program administration and substance abuse. Noted for his practical strength-based approaches to complex issues, Walton is actively sought out for insight on facilitating long-term recovery for justice system involved individuals who are living with substance use and mental health disorders.
Treatment Matters: Best Practices for Treatment in Drug Courts and the Criminal Justice System
MSW, Chief Operating Officer
National Association of Drug Court Professionals
Terrence D. Walton, Chief Operating Officer for the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP), is among the nation’s leading experts in providing training and technical assistance to drug courts and other treatment courts internationally. Prior to being named COO in October 2015, he was the NADCP Chief of Standards. In addition to being responsible for the daily operation of NADCP and planning the national conference, he retains his responsibility for establishing and implementing best practice standards nationwide. Previously, Walton was Director of Treatment for the Pretrial Services Agency for the District of Columbia (PSA). During his 15 years at PSA, he directed operations that provide substance use disorder and mental health assessment, treatment and social services for all adults released under PSA supervision in the District of Columbia. Walton holds a bachelor's degree in psychology and a master's degree in social work, with specializations in program administration and substance abuse. Noted for his practical strength-based approaches to complex issues, Walton is actively sought out for insight on facilitating long-term recovery for justice system involved individuals who are living with substance use and mental health disorders.
Treatment Matters: Best Practices for Treatment in Drug Courts and the Criminal Justice System
