FRI Welcomes New Senior Research Scientist

MAXINE L. STITZER, Ph.D. Professor Emerita of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences,  Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Dr. Stitzer was a founding faculty member of the Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit, a nationally recognized substance abuse research laboratory within the Department of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Her research interests during a successful 40+ year career focused on both pharmacological and behavioral approaches to the treatment of substance use disorders including opioid, stimulant and tobacco use disorders. She is best known for her pioneering work on Contingency Management in substance abuse treatment, an approach designed to enhance motivation for positive behavior change.  In collaboration with our own Robert Schwartz, she has also provided leadership at Hopkins of the Mid Atlantic Node of the National Institute on Drug Abuse Clinical Trials Network (CTN), in which multi-site clinical trials are conducted that test the effectiveness of substance abuse treatments implemented in community settings.  Her research overall has advanced the understanding of substance use disorders and promoted adoption of evidence-based treatments into clinical practice.  Following official retirement from Hopkins in February of 2019, she accepted a part time appointment with FRI in order to continue her involvement in the CTN as well as other projects