Individuals struggling with addiction often are difficult to reach if they are not linked to care; social media can bridge this gap. In this presentation, Dr. Cavazos-Rehg will explore the use of social media (i.e. Reddit) to learn more about individuals who misuse opioids, and investigate how this platform could be used to connect those who are non-treatment to care. She will also report the results of the pilot test of our “uMAT-R” mobile app, designed to educate individuals with opioid use disorder about medication-assisted treatment options.

Dr. Patricia Cavazos-Rehg, PhD, is a clinically-trained licensed psychologist who has been involved in biomedical research for nearly 15 years. After receiving her Ph.D. in Psychology from SUNY at Buffalo in 2004, she moved to Washington University School of Medicine (WUSM) in St. Louis, to begin her research career, focusing on understanding how policy and social media shape health risk behaviors of young people. In addition to her research, she is also a dedicated Associate Professor and the Director of WUSM’s Mentored Training Program in Clinical Investigation where she promotes the career development of junior faculty and postdoctoral fellows.