Anjalee Sharma, Ph.D.

Anjalee Sharma, Ph.D.
Anjalee Sharma, Ph.D.
Assistant Research Scientist

Ph.D., Social Work, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
asharma@friendsresearch.org
Phone: 410-837-3977 ext. 231
Fax: 410-752-4218
Research Interests

Dr. Sharma completed her undergraduate and graduate degrees at two Maryland institutions; University of Maryland, College Park, where she obtained degrees in psychology and women’s studies; and University of Maryland, Baltimore, where she obtained her master’s in social work. Dr. Sharma’s Ph.D. is from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill in social work where her dissertation focused on quality of life trajectories for people in methadone treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD). She is currently a postdoctoral research fellow at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in the Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit.

Dr. Sharma’s experience at FRI has spanned several projects, including a study to develop and validate a substance use screening tool for primary care, a randomized trial of interim methadone and patient navigation in jail, brief interventions for adolescents within school-based health centers, and use of diverted buprenorphine within correctional facilities. Currently, Dr. Sharma is working with Dr. Jan Gryczynski on projects related to improving treatment linkage through novel settings, such as through the Baltimore City sexual health clinics.

Dr. Sharma’s topical research interests include medication initiation and intervention for OUD in correctional settings, understanding and evolving treatment modalities for people with substance use disorders, and continuity of care for people who seek substance use treatment from incarceration to community settings. Dr. Sharma’s interests in quantitative methods include longitudinal data analysis, causal inference, and assessing measurement invariance of existing measures used in clinical and research settings.

Selected Publications
Bo, A., Goings, T. C., Evans, C. B., Sharma A., Jennings, Z., Durand, B., Bardeen, A., & Murray-Lichtman, A. (2022). Culturally sensitive prevention programs for substance use among adolescents of color: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Clinical Psychology Review , 102233.
Sharma A., Mitchell, S.G., Nordeck, C.D., Schwartz, R.P., Dusek, K., O’Grady, K., Gryczynski, J. (2022). Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) testing after brief intervention for risk behaviors in school-based health centers (SBHCs) Journal of Adolescent Health, 70 (4), 577-583.
Gryczynski, J., Lee, J. D., Dusek, K., McDonald, R., Sharma A., Malone, M., … & Chilcoat, H. D. (2021). Use of non–prescribed buprenorphine in the criminal justice system: Perspectives of individuals recently released from incarceration. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 127 , 108349.
Masa, R., & Sharma A. ( (2021). Invariance of the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale Across Different Groups of Adolescents and Young Adults. Food and Nutrition Bulletin, 42 (3), 437-450.
Kelly, S. M., Schwartz, R. P., O’Grady, K. E., Mitchell, S. G., Duren, T., Sharma A., & Jaffe, J. H. (2020). Impact of methadone treatment initiated in jail on subsequent arrest. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment ,108006.
Monico, L., Gryczynski, J., Lee, J.D., Dusek, K., McDonald, R., Malone, M., Sharma A., Cheng, A, DeVeaugh-Geiss, A., & Chilcoat, H. (2020). Exploring nonprescribed use of buprenorphine in the criminal justice system through qualitative interviews among individuals recently released from incarceration. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 123 , 108267.
Schwartz, R.P., Kelly, S.M., Mitchell, S.G., O’Grady, K.E., Sharma A., Jaffe, J.H. (2020). Methadone treatment of arrestees: A randomized clinical trial. Drug and Alcohol Dependence.
Zerden, L. D. S., Guan, T., Lombardi, B. M., Sharma A., & Garcia-Rico, Y. (2020). Psychosocial Interventions in Office-Based Opioid Treatment: A Systematic Review. Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research, 11 (1), 000-000.
Zerden, L. D. S., Lombardi, B. M., Sharma A., Richman, E. (2020). Interprofessional Teams and the Office-Based Opioid Treatment (OBOT) Workforce. Health, Interprofessional Practice and Education.
Parisi, A., Sharma A., Howard, M. O., & Wilson, A. B. (2019). The relationship between substance misuse and complicated grief: A systematic review. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment.
Gryczynski, J., McNeely, J., Wu, L. T., Subramaniam, G. A., Svikis, D. S., Cathers, L. A. Sharma, G., King, J., Jelstrom E., Nordeck, C.D., Sharma A., Mitchell. A.G., O’Grady, K.E., Schwartz, R.P. (2017). Validation of the TAPS-1: a four-item screening tool to identify unhealthy substance use in primary care. Journal of general internal medicine, 32 (9), 990-996.
Schwartz, R. P., McNeely, J., Wu, L. T., Sharma, G., Wahle, A., Cushing, C., Nordeck, C.D., Sharma A., O’Grady, K.E., Gryczynski, J., Mitchell, S. G., Ali, R.L., Marsden, J., & Subramanium, G.A. (2017). Identifying substance misuse in primary care: TAPS Tool compared to the WHO ASSIST. Journal of substance abuse treatment, 76 , 69-76.
Sharma A., Kelly, S. M., Mitchell, S. G., Gryczynski, J., O’Grady, K. E., & Schwartz, R. P. (2017). Update on Barriers to Pharmacotherapy for Opioid Use Disorders. Current psychiatry reports, 19 (6), 35.
Bruno Genetti, M. A. S., Milena Sperotto, M. A. S., Alessandra Andreotti, M. A. S., Monica Zermiani, M. A. S., Paolo Vian, E. G., Anjalee Sharma A, M.S.W, Robert P. Schwartz, M.D., & Giovanni Serpelloni, M. D. (2016). Prevalence and correlates for alcohol, cigarette, and cannabis use among Italian high School Students: A National Survey.
McNeely, J., Wu, L. T., Subramaniam, G., Sharma, G., Cathers, L. A., Svikis, D., Sleiter, L., Russell, L., Nordeck, C., Sharma A., O’Grady, K. E., Bouk, L.B., Cushing, C., King, J., Wahle., & Schwartz, R.P. (2016). A brief substance use screening and assessment for general medical settings: Validation of the Tobacco, Alcohol, Prescription medication, and other Substance use (TAPS) Tool. Annals of Internal Medicine.
McNeely, J., Wu, L. T., Subramaniam, G., Sharma, G., Cathers, L. A., Svikis, D., Sleiter, L., Russell, L., Nordeck, C., Sharma A., O’Grady, K. E., Bouk, L.B., Cushing, C., King, J., Wahle., & Schwartz, R.P. (2016). Performance of the Tobacco, Alcohol, Prescription Medication, and Other Substance Use (TAPS) Tool for Substance Use Screening in Primary Care Patients. Annals of Internal Medicine.
Schwartz, R. P., Kelly, S. M., Mitchell, S. G., Dunlap, L., Zarkin, G. A., Sharma A., O’Grady, K.E., & Jaffe, J. H. (2016). Corrigendum to “Interim methadone and patient navigation in jail: Rationale and design of a randomized clinical trial.”[Contemp. Clin. Trials 49 (2016): 21–28]. Contemporary clinical trials, 51 , 97.
Schwartz, R. P., Kelly, S. M., Mitchell, S. G., Dunlap, L., Zarkin, G. A., Sharma A., O’Grady, K.E., & Jaffe, J. H. (2016). Interim methadone and patient navigation in jail: Rationale and design of a randomized clinical trial. Contemporary Clinical Trials.
Sharma A., O’Grady, K. E., Kelly, S. M., Gryczynski, J., Mitchell, S. G., & Schwartz, R. P. (2016). Pharmacotherapy for opioid dependence in jails and prisons: research review update and future directions. Substance abuse and rehabilitation, 7 , 27.
Sharma A., & Sacco, P. (2015). Adverse Childhood Experiences and Gambling: Results from National Survey. Journal of Social Work Practice in the Addictions, 15 (1), 25-43.