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Tammy Chung, PhD is well known internationally as an expert on the development, consequences, and treatment of adolescent substance use disorders. Her work has had a profound effect on the field of addiction medicine. Findings from her earlier work helped to shape the definition of adolescent substance abuse disorder and diagnosis and influenced the American Psychiatry Association’s revisions for the current DSM-5 criteria for substance use disorders. Dr. Chung developed screening tools to characterize adolescent substance abuse and aid in the early intervention of substance abuse disorders. She also established markers of the post-treatment trajectories of adolescents with substance abuse disorders. In recognition of this work the American Psychological Association presented her with the Distinguished Scientific Early Career Contribution Award. In her most recent work Dr. Chung is using neuroimaging methods that she developed to study behavioral treatment effects on substance use and employing IT-based mobile interventions to monitor and reduce substance use. 

Dr. Chung has received multiple awards from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to support her research activities. She is currently the Principal Investigator or Co-Principal Investigator for multiple R-series grants funded by the National Institutes of Health. The first R01 project, sponsored by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), is a study of substance use and HIV risk behaviors in a large community sample that has been followed annually from childhood into young adulthood. Dr. Chung is studying mechanisms of change for an effective alcohol text message intervention with support from another R01 grant funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. An R21 award funded by NIDA has enabled her to investigate the real-time prediction of marijuana use and the effects of its use on cognition in the natural environment. Dr. Chung is highly collaborative and serves as a Co-Investigator for numerous other federally funded projects.

The Department of Psychiatry is proud to announce Dr. Chung’s promotion to the rank of tenured professor by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in recognition of her academic accomplishments and substantial contributions to the field of addiction medicine. 

“Dr. Chung is a talented researcher who is contributing significantly to establishing the developmental course of substance abuse and treatment outcomes of adolescent addictions,” said David Lewis, MD, Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience and Chair of the Department of Psychiatry. “She is also an excellent citizen of the scientific community, contributing her expertise to grant reviews and committee service, and providing thoughtful mentorship that has positively impacted the careers of many trainees.”