Heather Drinkwater

Born and raised near Baltimore, Maryland, Heather spent the first 23 years of their career working, managing, and specializing in several branches of the service industry, including management in food, beverage, marketing and social media, and brief ownership of a third-wave coffee business. However, their deepest interests have always been rooted in psychology, stemming from their adolescent experiences as a ward of the state and the social inequities they witnessed during that time. Through periodic reflections, the drive to pursue a career that aligned with their interests became impossible to ignore. While working full-time, Heather attended UMBC part-time for several years and upon graduating in 2022 with a B.A. in psychology, pursued a position in social research. They have since joined FRI as a research assistant on Dr. Gryczynski’s NIDA-funded OUTLAST-B study, which will examine the effectiveness of opioid use disorder treatment linkage at STI clinics and other strategic touchpoints using Buprenorphine.