Anvari, Morgan

Bio

Morgan Anvari is a doctoral candidate in the Clinical Psychology program at the University of Maryland, College Park, working with Dr. Jessica Magidson in the Global Mental Health and Addiction Program (GMAP). Morgan received her B.A. in Psychology from the University of Maryland, College Park, where she was awarded the University’s 2020 Undergraduate Researcher of the Year Award for her work in GMAP and the Maryland Psychotherapy Clinic and Research Lab. Following her undergraduate studies, she continued her work in GMAP as a research coordinator, contributing to the development and evaluation of peer-delivered behavioral interventions designed to support engagement in substance use treatment among underserved populations.

Morgan’s research focuses on increasing access to evidence-based mental health and substance use treatment for underserved individuals with substance use disorders through the adaptation and implementation of behavioral interventions delivered by peers and other non-specialist providers. Her work examines stigma as a critical barrier to care, with a particular emphasis on understanding and reducing internalized substance use stigma. More broadly, she is interested in leveraging qualitative methods, human-centered design, and implementation science to develop scalable interventions that improve treatment engagement, retention, and behavioral health outcomes in resource-limited settings.

Morgan previously received funding through an individual NIDA Diversity Supplement to examine the experiences and impacts of substance use and medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) stigma among patients receiving care in an underserved rural community. She currently serves as Principal Investigator of a NIDA R36 Dissertation Award (R36DA065924), which aims to develop a single-session, peer-delivered intervention to reduce internalized substance use stigma among individuals with polysubstance use in rural Maryland. Through this work, she seeks to advance innovative models of behavioral health service delivery and improve access to high-quality mental health and substance use care for underserved populations.