Dr. David Smelson is a Tenured Professor of Medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, and former Vice Chair of Clinical Research in the Department of Psychiatry, a position he held from 2008-2018. He currently directs the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Center of Excellence in Addictions. He has been consecutively funded federally for the past 25 years by NIH (NIDA, NIAAA, NCCIH), VA, BJA and SAMHSA. His work focuses on studying and implementing treatments for addiction and co-occurring mental health and substance use.

Examples of funding include:

NIMH 1R01MH128904-01 (Smelson, Gonzalez, Li)  (Co-PI's)                                                                                                             Title: Supporting Treatment Access and Recovery for Co-Occurring Opioid Use and Mental Health Disorders

THis project will test MISSION as a whole or its parts in addition to Medication for Opioid use Disorder (MOUD) and the cost implications for opioid addiction.

Costs: $12,321,934

Role: Co-Principal Investigator

NIH/NIAAA R01AA028240-01A (Epstein, Smelson, Sherman) (Co-PI's)  

Title: A Female-Specific Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Group for Alcohol Use Disorder in VA Primary Care Settings

This randomized clinical trial will test a female-Veteran-centric adapted CBT group therapy for AUD and other health behaviors located in VA Primary Care setting.

Costs: $3,638,940

Role: Co-Principal Investigator

NIH/NIDA R41DA044030-01A1 David Smelson (PI) 
Title: MISSION-U: A Multimedia Training Tool for Treating Individuals with Co-occurring Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders
This study involves the partnering with a small business to commercialize continuing education for the MISSION Model and creating a continuing education platform for MISSION.
Costs: $243,000, direct & indirect costs
Role: Principal Investigator 

NIH/NIDA R42 AA026751-2 David Smelson (PI) 
Title: MISSION-U: A Multimedia Training Tool for Treating Individuals with Co-occurring Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders
This is a phase 2 study in partnership between UMASS Medical School and Praxis to commercialize a continuing education e-learning program to train treatment providers on the MISSION Model.
Costs: $1,499,913.00, direct & indirect costs
Role: Principal Investigator

NIDA K23 Award Stephanie Carreiro (PI) 
Title: iTransform: Wearable Biosensors to Detect the Evolution of Opioid Tolerance in Opioid Naïve Individuals
This project utilizes machine learning approaches to evaluate opioid use and the evolution of tolerance in opioid naive individuals as measured by a wearable biosensor.
Costs: $800,000.00, direct & indirect costs
Role: Mentor (donated)

SAMHSA CSAT 1H79TI080430 David Smelson (PI) 
Title: Maintaining Independence and Sobriety through Systems Integration, Outreach and Networking-Western Massachusetts (MISSION-West)
The goals of this project are to implement and evaluate the MISSION model for ending chronic homelessness in Springfield Metro Area.
Costs: $2,135,454.00, direct & indirect costs
Role: Principal Investigator

BRIDGE QUERI Center of Excellence
Title: The BRIDGE QUERI
The BRIDGE QUERI includes a series of center cores and four projects that focuses on interventions for vulnerable populations of Veterans, including those experiencing homelessness, those with HIV and Hepatitis C and those exiting incarceration. The primary contribution of these projects and the center cores will be to refine service delivery models to address the health care and other service needs of these underrepresented populations.
Costs: $3,975,000.00, direct & indirect costs.
Role: Co-Principal Investigator 

 VA HSR&D Investigator Initiated Research Daniel Blonigen, David Smelson (Co-PIs) 
Title: Improving Treatment Engagement and Outcomes among Justice-involved Veterans
This project will be a multisite RCT to test the effectiveness of Moral Reconation Therapy to reduce risk for criminal recidivism and improve health-related outcomes among justice-involved Veterans.
Costs: $1,362,265.00, direct costs