Maxine L. Stitzer, Ph.D. – Friends Research Institute

Maxine L. Stitzer, Ph.D.
Senior Research Scientist

Ph.D., Psychology, University of Michigan
mstitzer@jhmi.edu
Phone: 410-550-0042

Research Interests

Dr. Stitzer is a founding faculty member of the Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit, a nationally recognized substance abuse research laboratory within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University 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 has been continuously supported as PI on numerous grants, published over 300 papers in refereed scientific journals and received several awards for her scholarly contributions. 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 and a topic that she continues to pursue. Since 1999, she has collaborated with Robert Schwartz, MD as Multiple PI of the Mid Atlantic Node of the National Institute on Drug Abuse Treatment 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. She is joining FRI as a Senior Research Scientist to expand post-retirement options for continued research affiliations.

Selected Publications

Miller, J., Cuby, J., Hall, S. M., Stitzer, M., Kushel, M., Appiah, D., & Vijayaraghavan, M. (2023). Tobacco use behaviors and views on engaging in clinical trials for tobacco cessation among individuals who experience homelessness. Contemp Clin Trials Commun, 32, 101094. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conctc.2023.101094.

Ware, O. D., Sweeney, M. M., Cunningham, C., Umbricht, A., Stitzer, M., & Dunn, K. E. (2023). Bupropion Slow Release vs Placebo With Adaptive Incentives for Cocaine Use Disorder in Persons Receiving Methadone for Opioid Use Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open, 6 (3), e232278. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.2278.

Xiong, X., Braun, S., Stitzer, M., Luderer, H., Shafai, G., Hare, B., Stevenson, M., & Maricich, Y. (2023). Evaluation of real-world outcomes associated with use of a prescription digital therapeutic to treat substance use disorders. Am J Addict, 32 (1), 24-31. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajad.13346.

Molina, M. F., Hall, S. M., Stitzer, M., Kushel, M., Chakravarty, D., & Vijayaraghavan, M. (2022). Contingency management to promote smoking cessation in people experiencing homelessness: Leveraging the electronic health record in a pilot, pragmatic randomized controlled trial. PLoS One, 17 (12), e0278870. Doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0278870.

Sweeney, M. M., Holtyn, A. F., Stitzer, M. L., & Gastfriend, D. R. (2022). Practical technology for expanding and improving substance use disorder treatment: Telehealth, remote monitoring, and digital health interventions. The Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 45 (3), 515-528. doi: 10.1016/j.psc.2022.05.006.

Hammond, A. S., Sweeney, M. M., Chikosi, T. U., & Stitzer, M. L. (2021). Digital delivery of a contingency management intervention for substance use disorder: A feasibility study with DynamiCare Health. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 126, 108425.

Mitchell, M. M., Schwartz, R. P., Choo, T.-H., Pavlicova, M., O’Grady, K. E., Gryczynski, J., Stitzer, M. L., Nunes, E. V., & Rotrosen, J. (2021). An alternative analysis of illicit opioid use during treatment in a randomized trial of extended-release naltrexone versus buprenorphine-naloxone: A per-protocol and completers analysis. Drug & Alcohol Dependence, 219, 108422.

Hammond AS, Antoine DG, Stitzer ML, Strain EC (2020). A Randomized and Controlled Acceptability Trial of an Internet-based Therapy among Inpatients with Co-occurring Substance Use and Other Psychiatric Disorders. Journal of Dual Diagnosis 16(4), 447-454.

Mitchell SG, Monico LB, Stitzer M, Matheson T, Sorensen JL, Feaster DJ, Schwartz RP, Metsch L (2018). How patient navigators view the use of financial incentives to influence study involvement, substance use, and HIV treatment. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment 94:18-23. doi: 10.1016/j.jsat.2018.07.009. Epub 2018 Jul 22. PMID: 30243412.

Stitzer ML, Schwartz RP, Bigelow GE (2017). Prescription opioids: New perspectives and research on their role in chronic pain management and addiction Drug and Alcohol Dependence 173 Suppl 1:S1-S3. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2016.11.018. No abstract available. PMID: 28363314.

Mitchell SG, Schwartz RP, Alvanzo AA, Weisman MS, Kyle TL, Turrigiano EM, Gibson ML, Perez L, McClure EA, Clingerman S, Froias A, Shandera DR, Walker R, Babcock DL, Bailey GL, Miele GM, Kunkel LE, Norton M, Stitzer ML (2015). The Use of Technology in Participant Tracking and Study Retention: Lessons Learned from a Clinical Trials Network Study. Substance Abuse 36(4):420-6. doi: 10.1080/08897077.2014.992565. Epub 2015 Feb 11. PMID: 25671593. PMCID: PMC4532645.

Defulio A, Stitzer M, Roll J, Petry N, Nuzzo P, Schwartz RP, et al (2013). Criminal justice referral and incentives in outpatient substance abuse treatment. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment 45. (1), 70-75.

Schwartz RP, Stitzer ML, Feaster DJ, Korthuis PT, Alvanzo AA, Winhusen TM, et al (2013). HIV rapid testing in drug treatment: comparison across treatment modalities. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment 44. (4), 369-374.

Winstanley E, Steinwachs D, Stitzer M, Fishman M (2012). Adolescent substance abuse and mental health: Problem co-occurrence and access to services Journal of Child and Adolescent Substance Abuse 21(4): 310-22.

Subramaniam G, Warden D, Minhajuddin A, Fishman M, Stitzer M, Adinoff B, Trivedi M, Weiss R, Potter J, Poole S, Woody GE (2011). Predictors of abstinence: NIDA multi-site buprenorphine/naloxone treatment trial in opioid dependent youth Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 50(11):1120-8.

Subramaniam G, Stitzer M, Woody G, Fishman M, Kolodner K (2009). Clinical characteristics of treatment seeking adolescents with opioid versus cannabis/alcohol use disorders Drug and Alcohol Dependence 99:141 49.

Subramaniam G, Stitzer M, Clemmey P, Kolodner K, Fishman M (2007). Baseline Depressive Symptoms Predict Poor Substance Use Outcome Following Adolescent Residential Treatment Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 46(8): 1062-9.

Tuten M, Jones HE, Lertch EW, Stitzer ML (2007). Aftercare plans of inpatients undergoing detoxification The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse 33 (4), 547-555.