About

Allison Lin, MD, MS: Executive Director of MI-ACRE

Dr. Allison Lin is an addiction psychiatrist, an Associate Professor at the University of Michigan Department of Psychiatry, and Research Scientist at the Ann Arbor VA. Dr. Lin’s research focuses on improving access to high quality addiction care, by identifying disparities and making high quality care available to communities and health systems. Her research uses large health care datasets to identify gaps in care and then designing and testing new models of care, including via telehealth, to reach, engage and directly deliver treatment. The primary goal is to deliver high quality care to the 90% of people struggling with substance use disorders who are not being reached by traditional models of treatment.

She also directs the UM Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship Program. In addition, she leads state and national efforts to improve addiction care and addiction research through her role as President of the Michigan Society of Addiction Medicine and Chair of Research at the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry.

Erin Bonar, PhD: Director of Research Strategy 

Dr. Bonar is a licensed clinical psychologist and a Professor at the University of Michigan in the Department of Psychiatry. She is also the Kathy Fant Brzoznowski Research Professor in Behavioral Health Technology Innovations. For MI-ACRE, she is the Director of Research Strategy. Dr. Bonar received her B.S. in psychology from Northern Kentucky University and her M.A. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Bowling Green State University.

Dr. Bonar spends most of her time leading and collaborating on patient-engaged research. She studies ways to prevent and treat substance use disorders, and wants to improve how this can be done by using technology-based tools (e.g., patient portal, smartphones, internet-based programs). As Director of Research Strategy for MI-ACRE, she helps develop pilot work, proposals, and research products that align with our mission and help propel the field forward.

Lara Coughlin, PhD: Director of Outreach and Policy

Dr. Coughlin is a clinical psychologist and assistant professor at the University of Michigan Department of Psychiatry. Informed by behavioral economic frameworks, she works with communities to develop treatments that are appealing, effective, and scalable to increase the reach and access to substance use care.

Dr. Coughlin’s goal is to bridge the considerable gap between those who may benefit from substance use care and those who currently receive it. 

Anne Fernandez, PhD: Director of Clinical Research

Dr. Anne Fernandez is a clinical psychologist and Associate Professor at the University of Michigan Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Fernandez’s research goal is to improve substance use screening, intervention, and care outside of specialty addiction treatment settings. Her recent projects focus on to integrating addiction care into hepatology clinics, and intervening in alcohol use before and after surgery to improve surgical health. She uses innovative methods and technologies in her research to increase reach and impact. By bringing addiction health services to the broadest population possible she hopes to reduce stigma and barriers to care, as well as reduce historical divisions between addiction care and broader healthcare.  

Maureen Walton, MPH, PhD: Strategic Advisor 

Dr. Walton is a community psychologist and professor at the University of Michigan (UM), where she serves as the Associate Chair for Research and Research Faculty Development in the Department of Psychiatry, and as Associate Director for Child Research at the UM Addiction Center. She is also the Toby Brzoznowski Research Professor in Behavioral Health Technology Innovations. In addition, she has leadership roles at the UM Injury Prevention Center and the UM Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention. Since 1993, Dr. Walton has conducted community engaged research to maximize public health impact on the prevention of alcohol and drug misuse, violence, and injury.

She has expertise in harnessing technology (such as text messaging, social media, telehealth, and smartphone apps) for intervention delivery.  She is also committed to mentoring and assists with the UM Addiction Center’s T32 post-doctoral training program funded by NIAAA. Collaborating with interdisciplinary teams, she has received funding from NIAAA, NIDA, CDC, and PCORI to help improve the health of young people.