Scientist to Study Substance Abuse Treatment with $2.9 Million Grant

New Haven, Conn. — Yale School of Medicine researcher David A. Fiellin, M.D., has received a five-year $2.9 million grant from The National Institutes of Health to advance his research on substance abuse.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse awarded Fiellin the grant to support his research evaluating whether gradual withdrawal from prescription opioid medications (narcotic painkillers) such as buprenorphine is most effective at reducing drug use.

Fiellin, associate professor of medicine, said that about three million Americans are addicted to narcotic pain medication. “The results of this study will help define the role of detoxification in the treatment of addiction to prescription opioid pain medication with buprenorphine in primary care,” said Fiellin.

The National Institutes of Health, the Health Resources Service Administration, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation fund Fiellin’s work. His research is focused on the recognition and treatment of substance abuse disorders in office-based, primary care and HIV specialty settings. He studies primary care-based recognition and treatment of opioid and alcohol dependence.