Keynote Speakers
Chethan Bachireddy, MD, MSc, FACP, AAHIVS
Chief Health Officer
Harris Health System
Regina LaBelle, JD
Director, Professor
The O’Neill Institute at Georgetown University Law Center
Sam Rivera
Executive Director
OnPoint NYC
Workshop Presenters
Heidi Abraham, MD, FAEMS
Chief Deputy Medical Director
Austin-Travis County EMS
Noah Abdenour, MHPS, PSS
Director of Peer Support and Recovery
Texas Health and Human Services Commission
Shanna Anderson, RSPS
Lead Peer
Unity Recovery
Tiffany Anschutz, LCSW
President & Founder
Sage Recovery & Wellness Centers
Taylor Bazajou, MSW
Evaluation Analyst
UT Health San Antonio, Be Well Texas
Denise Beagley, MSc
Associate Director
Crisis & Justice Systems of Care
Banner Health
Adam Bisaga, MD
Professor of Clinical Psychiatry
Columbia University
College of Physicians and Surgeons
Nicholaus Christian, MD, MBA
Staff Clinician
National Institute on Drug Abuse
Intramural Research Program
Gerald Cochran, PhD
Professor
University of Utah, School of Medicine
Division of Epidemiology
Brandon del Pozo, PhD, MPA, MA
Assistant Professor
Medicine and Public Health
Brown University
Katy Dondanville, PsyD, ABPP
Assistant Professor of Research
UT Health San Antonio
Miguel Garza, LCDC, PSS
Divisional Director
Behavioral Health Solutions
Kim Griffith, EMT-P, FP-C
Captain
Austin-Travis County EMS
Paul Guel, RSPS
Recovery Coach
Behavioral Health Solutions of South Texas
Jane Hamilton, PhD, MPH, LCSW-S
Associate Professor
McGovern Medical School at UT Health Houston
Sharon Hesseltine, BSW
President and CEO
Intentional Beginnings Consulting & Training, LLC
Lucas G. Hill, PharmD, FCCP
Clinical Associate Professor
PhARM Program Director
The University of Texas at Austin
College of Pharmacy
Rebecca Hosey, MPH, MSN, RN
Nurse
Delaware Valley Community Health
Lorie Kmetz, MSN, APRN, FNP-C
Family Nurse Practitioner
CARMAhealth
Alicia Kowalchuk, DO
Associate Professor
Baylor College of Medicine
George Langan, MSN, RN
Registered Nurse
ASHwell
Jan Lindsay, PhD
Associate Professor
Baylor College of Medicine
Maggie Luna
Executive Director
Texas Harm Reduction Alliance
Daryl McGraw, MS, CAC, CCJP
Founder & Director
Formerly Inc
Maria Carmenza Mejia, MD, MPH
Associate Professor
Baylor College of Medicine
Moe
Senior HCV Treatment Coordinator
ASHWell
Edward Nunes, MD
Professor
Columbia University Irving Medical Center
Jason Olson, Police Officer
Police Officer
Dayton Police Department
Dinah Ortiz
Independent Consultant
Drug User Human Rights Activist
Phil Owen, PSS, RSPS, PRSS
Program Manager
Communities for Recovery
Kenny Pailes, NRP
Captain
Austin-Travis County EMS
Jennifer Sharpe Potter, PhD, MPH
Vice President for Research,
Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
UT Health San Antonio
Jananie Ramesh, MD
Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine
Dell Medical School
Bradley Ray, PhD, MA, BS
Senior Researcher
RTI International
Chad Sabora
Harm Reduction Subject Matter Expert
Unity Recovery
Paul Salinas, MA
Senior Project Coordinator
UT Health San Antonio, Be Well Texas
Mike Sasser, EMT-P
Captain
Austin Travis County EMS
Sydney Silverstein, PhD
Assistant Professor
Boonshoft School of Medicine
Wright State University
Caty Simon
Development Director, Narrative Development Director, Leadership Team Member
Whose Center Is It Anyway, NC Survivors Union, National Survivors Union
Angela Stotts, PhD
Professor
McGovern Medical School at UT Health Houston
Samm Theis
Certified Peer Supporter
Grow Team
East End Community Services – West Care
Eva Thibaudeau-Graczyk, LCSW-S
Chief Executive Officer
Temenos CDC
Douglas Thornton, PharmD, PhD
Associate Professor
University of Houston, College of Pharmacy
PREMIER Center
Carlos F. Tirado, MD, MPH, FASAM
Chief Executive Officer
CARMAhealth
Brit Vargas-Estrella, BA
Director of Operations
OnPoint NYC
Mary Velasquez, PhD
Professor
The University of Texas at Austin
Noel Vest, PhD
Boston University
Assistant Professor
Alexis Villarreal, RSPS
Recovery Coach
Behavioral Health Solutions of South Texas
Desmar Walkes, MD
Medical Director
Austin Public Health
Jayme Whitaker, CADAC II
Vice President of Forensic Services
Indiana Forensic Services,
Mental Health America of Indiana
Claire Zagorski, MSc, LP
Graduate Research Assistant
The University of Texas at Austin
College of Pharmacy
Noor Z.K.
Director
Sex Workers Educating & Empowering Texans
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.