Dr. Redonna K. Chandler

Scientific Advisory Board, Addiction Policy Forum

Dr. Chandler brings a wealth of expertise and is nationally and internationally recognized for her pioneering work in substance use and HIV. Her extensive research encompasses integrated care, the implementation of evidence-based practices, and health services research.

Dr. Chandler began her career at Berea College, known as the first racially integrated and co-educational college in the South. She then dedicated six years to the Department of Justice and the Bureau of Prisons, where she directed drug treatment programs addressing substance use disorders and serious mental illness.

In 2002, Dr. Chandler was recruited by the National Institutes of Health to NIDA, where she developed the first justice-based clinical trials network. This innovative initiative fostered partnerships between researchers and justice systems to implement effective strategies for addressing addiction and mental health disorders. From 2006 to 2013, she served as the Chief of the Services Research Branch, leading the development of multidisciplinary prevention and treatment services research. Additionally, from 2013 to 2014, Dr. Chandler acted as the Director of a prominent extramural research division at NIDA, overseeing a $270 million research portfolio.

Between 2014 and 2017, Dr. Chandler joined the National Center for Advancing Translational Science as the Deputy Director of the Clinical Translational Science Award Division. In this role, she focused on developing innovative research to expedite the process of creating new treatments for diseases. She collaborated with academic medical centers nationwide to translate basic science findings into patient interventions while working on high-priority initiatives aimed at reducing regulatory burdens and enhancing the conduct of clinical research.

Dr. Chandler returned to NIDA in 2017, initially as the Director of the HIV Research Program (HRP) and subsequently as the Director of the HEALing Communities Study (HCS) in 2019. Under her leadership, NIDA’s HRP managed a $260 million research portfolio at the intersection of substance use and HIV. As Director of the HCS, she has been instrumental in shaping the design and execution of the largest implementation study in addiction science to date, spanning 67 counties across four states.

With over 100 publications, including manuscripts, research-based guidelines, reports, and book chapters, Dr. Chandler has made significant contributions to the field. She has also reviewed articles for numerous scientific journals, delivered presentations at various conferences, and received more than 30 awards recognizing her scholarship, leadership, and scientific innovation.

Read Dr. Chandler's CV.