Steven Shoptaw

Dr Steve Shoptaw is a clinical psychologist, Professor and Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Family Medicine at UCLA. He is Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry at UCLA and at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. Dr Shoptaw’s research involves developing medication and behavior interventions for stimulant and opioid use disorder—especially in the context of HIV transmission. He directs two centers at UCLA–the Center for HIV Identification, Prevention and Treatment Services and the Center for Behavioral and Addiction Medicine. He is Multiple PI for NIDA’s Clinical Trials Network Big South/West Node. This work includes leadership on a successful RCT of extended release naltrexone and high-dose bupropion medication combination for reducing methamphetamine use and an upcoming trial evaluating injectable buprenorphine for people with severe methamphetamine addiction who co-use opioids. Dr. Shoptaw is protocol co-chair for HPTN-094, a study of providing integrated peer navigation and medication services for opioid use disorder, HIV care and prevention, primary care, and STD testing and treatment in a mobile unit compared to peer navigation to existing services in 5 U.S. cities. His international work includes studies in Vietnam and South Africa on treatments for addiction and HIV transmission. For his service work, Steve is an active member of local task forces guiding public health department and community-based collaborative responses to methamphetamine treatment and prevention (especially important in Los Angeles, where overdoses and deaths from methamphetamine are very high). Dr. Shoptaw is the Editor-in-Chief for Drug and Alcohol Dependence, a leading journal on addiction science.