2023 Speakers

2023 Keynote and Plenary Speakers

Corrie Vilsaint, PhD
Associate Director of Recovery Health Equity
Recovery Research Institute
Harvard Medical School

Richard Bottner, DHA, PA-C, CPHQ, FACHE
Vice President of Clinical Excellence
Colorado Hospital Association

Noel Vest, PhD
Assistant Professor
Boston University

2023 Session Speakers

Dinah Adames
Drug User Organizing Expert
NCSU Board Co-Chair
Drug User Human Rights Activist

Robert Ashford, PhD, MSW
Executive Director
Unity Recovery

Jacci Bainbridge PharmD, FCCP
Professor
Department of Clinical Pharmacy
University of Colorado – Skaggs School of Pharmacy

Gavin Bart, MD, PhD, FACP, DFASAM
Director of Division of Addiction Medicine
Hennepin Healthcare
Professor of Medicine
University of Minnesota Medical School

Katharine Bradley, MD, MPH
Senior Investigator
Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute

Ariel Brit, MSW
Associate Director, Addiction Research Institute / TxCOPE
Steve Hicks School of Social Work
The University of Texas at Austin

Kellie Burnam
Final Summit

Melanie Cheek, PhD
Director of Operations
Abilene Recovery Council

Kasey Claborn, PhD
Assistant Professor
The University of Texas at Austin
Steve Hicks School of Social Work

Lisa M. Cleveland, PhD, APRN, CPNP, IBCLC, FAAN
Professor
UT Health San Antonio School of Nursing

Frederic Courtois
Associate Director
TxCOPE
UT Steve Hicks School of Scoial Work

John De La Garza
Paramedic and MAT Team Lead
San Antonio Fire Department

Chuka Emezue, PhD, MPH, MPA
Assistant Professor
Rush University Medical Center

Andrew Estrada
Deputy Fire Chief
San Antonio Fire Department
Emergency Services

Aaron Ferguson, BSW
Community Outreach Manager – Leadership Team Member – Methadone Liaison
Community Medical Services – Urban Survivor’s Union

Brett Foster, PSS, RSPS
Recovery Support Services Program Manager
East Texas Council On Alcoholism And Drug Abuse

Gilbert Gonzalez
Director of Bexar County
Department of Behavioral Health

Jessie Higgins, MA, LPC, LMFT
Chief Mental Health Officer
City of San Antonio

Barbara Hood
Recovery Links Coach
Lifetime Recovery

Cynthia Humphrey
Executive Director
Association of Substance Abuse Programs

Niranjan Karnik, MD, PhD
Professor
University of Illinois Chicago

Adrienne Lindsey, DBH
Assistant Professor
Director, Center for Substance Use Training & Telementoring (C-STAT)
UT Health San Antonio

Amanda Lopez, JD
Director
Texas Opioid Abatement Fund Council

Lisa Marsch, PhD
Executive Director
Association of Substance Abuse Programs

Nancy McConnell, MSW, MCAP, CRPS
CEO/Co-Founder
Rebel Recovery

Jennifer McNeely, MD, MS
Associate Professor
Dept. of Population Health
New York University Grossman School of Medicine

Sarah Messmer, MD
Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine and Pediatrics
University of Illinois at Chicago

David Miramontes, MD, FACEP, FAEMS, NREMTP
Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine
UT Health San Antonio

Jennifer Sharpe Potter, PhD, MPH
Vice President for Research
Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
UT Health San Antonio

Joe Powell, LCDC, PSS, RSPS
President / CEO
Association of Persons Affected by Addictions

Nikki Prince, RSPS, LCDC
Behavioral Health Services
Texas Health and Human Services

Barbara Robles-Ramamurthy, MD
Assistant Professor
UT Health San Antonio

Rev. Gavin Rogers
Executive Director, Corazon San Antonio
Associate Pastor, Travis Park Church

Carmen Rosa, MS
Scientific Officer
Center for the Clinical Trials Network
National Institute on Drug Abuse

Willa Rosen, LCSW, LCDC
Education Specialist
Education Service Center, Region 13

Melisa Simmons, MEd., RSPS
Recovery Support Services Director
Unity Recovery

Darrien Skinner, MS
Opioid Generalist
Texas Health and Human Services

Dennis Smithenry, PhD
Education Consultant

Javier Soto, PSS, RSPS
Program Coordinator of Peer Support and Recovery
Health and Human Services Commission

Kasey Strey
Director
Texas Targeted Opioid Response
Mental Health and Substance Use Programs
Behavioral Health Services

Douglas Thornton, PharmD, PhD, BCPS
Associate Professor
University of Houston

Carlos F. Tirado, MD, MPH, FASAM
Chief Medical Officer
CARMAhealth

Siddarth Wakhlu, MD
Professor of Psychiatry,
Clinical Director, Addiction Psychiatry Service
UT Southwestern Medical Center

Tara Karns-Wright, PhD, MS
Assistant Professor, UT Health San Antonio
Director of Clinical Science and Evaluation
Be Well Texas

Andrea Yatsco, PhD, CADC/LCDC, CCS
Assistant Professor / Associate Director
UT Health Houston – Heroes

Claire Zagorski, MSc, LP
Graduate Research Assistant
The University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy

Speaker Disclaimer: The Texas Substance Use Symposium promotes academic freedom by convening professionals and community members to collaboratively identify substance use challenges and propose solutions to this public health concern. The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speaker(s) and do not necessarily reflect nor constitute an endorsement of the views, opinion or position of The University of Texas System, UT Health San Antonio, UT Austin or any of the entities they represent.