Dr. Redonna Chandler Joins Addiction Policy Forum’s Scientific Advisory Board

This month, Addiction Policy Forum welcomed Dr. Redonna Chandler as the newest member of its Scientific Advisory Board, following her recent retirement from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).

With a distinguished career spanning more than 30 years in federal service, Dr. Chandler brings a wealth of expertise and is nationally and internationally recognized for her work in substance use disorders and HIV. Her extensive research encompasses integrated care, the implementation of evidence-based practices, and health services research. She has led numerous national initiatives, including large-scale clinical trials and programs focused on integrated care and the implementation of evidence-based practices in real-world settings.

Throughout her tenure at NIDA, Dr. Chandler held a series of senior leadership roles where she led multi-million-dollar research initiatives that promoted the adoption of evidence-based practices and shaped the fields of addiction and HIV science. Most recently, she served as Director of the HIV Research Program (HRP) and, subsequently, as the Director of the HEALing Communities Study (HCS)—the largest implementation research study ever conducted in the addiction field. In prior roles, she led the creation of NIDA’s first justice-based clinical trials network that fostered partnerships between researchers and justice systems to implement effective strategies for addressing addiction and mental health disorders, and served as the Chief of the Services Research Branch from 2006 to 2013, where she led the development of multidisciplinary prevention and treatment services research.

Beyond her work at NIDA, Dr. Chandler’s federal service included leadership at the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), where she served as Deputy Director of the Division of Clinical Innovation. She also worked at the Department of Justice and the Bureau of Prisons, directing large-scale treatment programs for justice-involved individuals with substance use disorders and co-occurring mental illness.

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.

Dr. Chandler joins a renowned group of national leaders and subject matter experts serving on APF’s Scientific Advisory Board, which includes experts in medicine, psychiatry, addiction treatment, neuroscience, psychology, and public health.

Read more about Dr. Chandler.