Generating systemic change along the addiction recovery continuum
Fiona Conway received her Ph.D. in social work from the Rutgers School of Social Work and completed her postdoctoral training at the Center of Alcohol & Substance Use Studies at Rutgers University. Her research focuses on substance use behaviors emphasizing recovery support services, digital health solutions, and substance use among adolescents and young adults. She also collaborates with biomedical scientists to investigate the relationships between behavioral health and human biology. She is particularly interested in the relationships between psychological distress, neuro-cardiac self-regulation, and substance use. Her interdisciplinary research seeks to facilitate the transfer of new and innovative scientific strategies to substance use prevention specialists and treatment providers.
“Everyone deserves a life of optimal well-being. Translating addiction science to practice is how I contribute to this principle.”
A Path to
Real-World Impact
Conway joined the Addiction Research Institute in 2022 seeking an opportunity to work with substance use researchers and professionals who focus on making a real-world impact. Conway’s research within the ARI directly translates to helping people now, not years down the road. With projects focused on participants who are currently in recovery support services, she is able to monitor their progress and support them along their journey to recovery.
Confronting Substance Use from Every Angle
With projects and programs focused on addiction intervention, opioid response, overdose reporting and tracking, tobacco use among teens, changing stress behaviors through the baroreflex, and suicide linked to bipolar disorder.
Researcher(s):
Fiona Conway, Ph.D.
Kasey Claborn, Ph.D.
Project Sponsor(s)
The FIRST Fund
CLEAN Cause Foundation
Project Categories
Addictions
SUDs are chronic conditions requiring intensive interventions and long-term care, but most treatments are time-limited and do not address structural barriers to recovery. One barrier is limited access to safe and stable housing. Recovery housing (e.g., recovery homes, sober living homes, and Oxford Houses) addresses this critical need by providing supportive living environments for people in recovery from SUDs. Numerous research studies have documented that recovery housing facilitates positive outcomes for residents through substance use recovery, decreased criminal justice involvement, and higher employment. However, housing costs in recovery residences are not presently covered by private or public health insurance, which presents barriers to individuals without insurance who need recovery housing. Lack of insurance coverage may also threaten the ability of providers to offer quality and sustainable recovery housing.
Researchers at The Addiction Research Institute, in partnership with the CLEAN Cause Foundation, will develop a consortium of experts across The University of Texas System to develop innovative funding models that facilitate recovery housing sustainability and addresses the financial gap created by insurance coverage ineligibility. The generation of this empirical research will also inform new policy initiatives that advocate for recovery housing organizations’ insurance coverage eligibility.
Most evidence-based treatments for opioid use disorders (OUD) require face-to-face interactions with individuals who comprise a recovery support network. These individuals include but are not limited to, clinicians who provide individual therapy sessions, physicians who manage medication-assisted treatments (MAT), support groups, peer recovery coaches, and sponsors. Decades of research have enhanced the effectiveness of these services. However, at the specific moment when people in recovery relapse, often they are not in the presence of these trusted individuals. They may also be unable or unwilling to contact individuals who support their recovery by phone or text messages. They are alone, or they are with others who facilitate their drug use.
This Texas Targeted Opioid Response (TTOR)-funded project aims to address this issue by providing people in recovery with a heart-rate biofeedback smartphone app to guide them through slow-paced breathing exercises at the specific moments they feel compelled to use. Consistent use of these breathing exercises can also reduce stress, general anxiety, depression and drug cravings. We are partnering with peer-specialist recovery coaches from the Recovery Support Services of Texas Health and Human Services Commission to provide this intervention to people in their networks.
Over 70,000 overdose deaths occurred in the United States in 2017. Public data indicate that Texas does not have a significant opioid problem relative to the rest of the nation; however, qualitative data with healthcare providers, first responders, and harm reduction organizations indicate that Texas does have a more significant opioid problem than the data represents. Several reasons may contribute to underreporting including misdiagnosing cause of deaths (e.g., “respiratory failure” vs “opioid overdose”); stigma (many overdoses are unreported to EMS, law enforcement, or healthcare providers); and multiple, disjointed reporting systems. Since there is a lack of accurate, consistent, and timely statewide data available on overdoses and other related variables (e.g., Narcan administration), it is essential to design a tool to track drug overdoses, both fatal and non-fatal, by location, as they happen.
Project Connect aims to improve overdose reporting and prevention efforts through an innovative community-academic-industry partnership. This study uses community-engaged research methods to understand gaps in overdose reporting and prevention response in Texas. The community is at the center of this work. We have established community advisory boards across four counties: Bexar, El Paso, Travis, and Williamson. Preliminary research data will inform development of a digital platform uniquely tailored to harm reduction organizations, first responders, healthcare providers, and the community of people who use drugs. We will pilot the platform across our four counties prior to launching statewide. A robust tracking system has the potential to inform preventative methods and optimize expenditure of State funds through informed, data-driven decisions.
This project is funded by the Texas Targeted Opioid Response (TTOR) program by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
Tobacco use is a prominent cause of preventable health disparities between White and Black individuals. Although the lifetime prevalence of tobacco use is lower for Black than it is for White individuals, Black adolescents are less likely to quit tobacco once they initiate use. In the long run, Black individuals suffer disproportionately from tobacco-related death and diseases. In this study, we employ a theoretically grounded and innovative conceptual model to examine Black-White differences in tobacco use across multiple intersecting domains and levels of influence. Our analyses aim to elucidate unique patterns of risk and protective factors over time and their relation to tobacco use in the long run. This study’s findings will advance our understanding of diminished gains for Black individuals from standard tobacco control approaches. Further, this developmental study will identify new potential therapeutic targets for clinical and public health intervention development.
This project is funded by the National Institutes of Health (1R21MD016473-01A1). Dr. Adriana Espinosa from The City University of New York is the principal investigator of this grant.
Suicide is among the leading causes of death among adolescents/young adults. Despite the importance of understanding the development of suicide risk, little data exists on neural circuitry predictors of suicide, especially during adolescence/young adulthood when suicide behavior often emerges. Bipolar disorder is associated with an increased risk for suicide, with estimates that up to 50% of individuals with bipolar disorder will attempt suicide in their lifetime. Research on the development of suicide behavior in bipolar disorder is critically needed to prevent suicide and identify biomarkers of risk for targeted intervention(s).
This project investigates the relations between neurophysiological responses to stress and suicidal thoughts and behavior in euthymic adolescents and young adults with bipolar disorder type I to test the hypothesis that altered neurophysiological response to stress assessed through functional MRI and physiological monitoring is an early trait marker of risk for suicidal thoughts and behavior. Relations with suicide ideation, hopelessness, impulsivity, attempt lethality, and executive functioning will be investigated. The relations between responses to stress, childhood maltreatment, and substance use (alcohol, marijuana, and tobacco) will be explored. Results could greatly contribute to understanding the role(s) of variation in response to acute stress in suicide risk and potentially neural predictors of suicide, in bipolar disorder, during adolescence/young adulthood when suicidal behaviors often emerge, and more generally, the relations with childhood maltreatment and substance use.
This project is funded by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (SRG-0-112-20). Dr. Elizabeth Lippard from Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin is the principal investigator of this grant.
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is commonly co-morbid with alcohol use disorders (AUD). Individuals who have both conditions have more physical health problems, greater social and functional impairment, a higher risk for suicide, and poorer treatment outcomes than those who have either condition alone. Stress can exacerbate symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder and substance use disorder. Although there are numerous interventions for each disorder, few employ a transdiagnostic approach that provides treatment for both conditions at the same time. This project investigates the potential of a novel intervention that utilizes a biological mechanism (the baroreflex) to modulate stress among individuals with comorbid PTSD and AUD.
The baroreflex is a biological mechanism that maintains communication between the heart and the brain and operates outside of conscious awareness. It is associated with involuntary physiological reactions to environmental cues, modulation of emotional arousal, and cognitive control of behavior. It is easily manipulated by slow-paced breathing and may be uniquely appropriate as a vehicle for the management of reactivity to daily stressors. During this study, the effect of baroreflex manipulation on stress reactivity will be quantified to provide empirical support for paced breathing interventions for posttraumatic stress and substance use disorders.
Outside the Lab
Conway’s research has led her to written and oral presentations across various topics focusing on addiction and substance abuse along with harm-reduction approaches.
Peer-Reviewed Publications
Conway, F. N., Brinkley, K., Jeong, H., Samora, J., Clinton, N., & Claborn, K.R. (2022) Impact of COVID-19 among people who use drugs: A qualitative study with harm reduction workers and people who use drugs. Harm Reduction Journal, 19, 72.
Graham, S., Conway, F. N., Bottner, R., & Claborn, K. (2022). Opioid use stigmatization and destigmatization in healthcare professionals social media. Addiction Research & Theory, 40(5), 375-381.
Espinosa, A., Ruglass, L. M., Conway, F. N., Jackson, K. M., & White, H. R. (2022). Motives, frequency, and consequences of cannabis use among college students. Journal of Drug Issues. Advance online publication.
Claborn K.R., Creech S., Conway F.N., Clinton N.M., Brinkley K.T., Lippard, E., Ramos, T., Samora, J., Miri, A., Benzer, J. (2022) Development of a digital platform to improve community response to overdose and prevention among harm reduction organizations. Harm Reduction Journal, 19, 62.
Saalfield, J., Piersol, K. L., Monaco, R., Womack, J., Weismiller, S. A., Esopenko, C., Todaro, S. M., Conway, F.N., Brostrand, K., & Buckman, J. F. (2022). Comparison of concurrent and same-day balance measurement approaches in a large sample of uninjured collegiate athletes. International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, 17(2), 228.
Conway, F. N., Rountree, M. A., & Jones, K. V. (2021) Serving the co-morbid mental health and substance use needs of people with HIV. Community Mental Health Journal, 57(7), 1328-1339.
de Souza, N. L., Esopenko, C., Conway, F. N., Todaro, S. M., & Buckman, J. F. (2021). Patterns of health behaviors affecting mental health in collegiate athletes. Journal of American College Health, 69(5), 495-502
Weismiller, S.A., Monaco, R., Womack, J., Alderman, B., Esopenko, C., Conway, F.N., Brostrand, K., Brown, A. & Buckman, J.F. (2021). Individual baseline balance assessments in a large sample of incoming NCAA Division I athletes using a force plate system. International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, 16(1), 126-133.
Saalfield, J.,Piersol, K, Esopenko, C., Bates, M.E., Weismiller, S.A., Brostrand, K., Todaro, S.M., Conway, F. N., Wilde, E.A. & Buckman, J.F. (2021). Digital neuropsychological test performance in a large sample of uninjured collegiate athletes. Applied Neuropsychology: Adult, 1-7.
Conway, F.N., Sokolovsky, A., Jackson, K.M., & White, H.R. (2020). Simultaneous alcohol and marijuana use: A brief measure of motives. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 81(2), 203-211.
Conway, F.N., Domingues, M., Monaco, R., Lesnewich, L., Ray, A.E., Alderman, B.L., Todaro, S.M., & Buckman, J.F. (2020). Concussion symptom underreporting among incoming national collegiate athletic association division I college athletes. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, 30(3), 203-209.
Esopenko, C., de Souza, N., Conway, F., Todaro, S. M., Brostrand, K., Womack, J., Monaco, R., & Buckman, J. F. (2020) Bigger necks are not enough: An examination of neck circumference in incoming college athletes. The Journal of Primary Prevention 41(5), 421-429.
Lesnewich, L. M., Conway, F. N., Buckman, J. F., Brush, C. J., Ehmann, P. J., Eddie, D., … & Bates, M. E. (2019). Associations of depression severity with heart rate and heart rate variability in young adults across normative and clinical populations. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 142, 57-65.
Eddie, D., Conway, F. N., Alayan, N., Buckman, J., & Bates, M. E. (2018). Assessing heart rate variability biofeedback as an adjunct to college recovery housing programs. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 92, 70- 76. F. Conway 4
White, H.R., Conway, F.N., Buckman, J.F., & Loeber, R. (2018). Does Substance use exacerbate escalation along developmental pathways of covert and overt externalizing behaviors among young men? Journal of Developmental and Life-Course Criminology, 4(2), 137-147.
Deglau, E., Ray, A., Conway, F., Carre-Lee, N., Waldman, W., Cunningham, K., Harrison, T., Bales, H., & Powell, T. (2015). Practice change in child welfare: The interface of training and social work education, Journal of Social Work Education, 51(sup2), S153-S172.
Conway, F., McCarthy, J., Talreja, P., & Conway, F. (2013). Thought disorder and language disorder among sexually abused children in a psychiatric hospital. Psychological Reports, 112(2), 340-352.
Book Chapters
White H.R., Conway F.N., Ward J.H. (2019) Comorbidity of Substance Use and Violence. In: Krohn M., Hendrix N., Penly Hall G., Lizotte A. (eds) Handbook on Crime and Deviance (pp. 513-532). Handbooks of Sociology and Social Research. Springer, Cham. Switzerland.
Book Reviews
Conway, F. & Conway, F. (2012). Book Review: So far away: A daughter’s memoir of life, loss, and love. Journal of Women & Aging, 24(2), 171-173.
Invited Talks
Conway, F.N. (2022, September). Resonance breathing: A neuro-cardiac intervention for drug craving. NIDA Clinical Trials Network (CTN) Big South-West Node Journal Club, Virtual.
Conway, F.N. (2022, March). Biosocial research: Mobile biofeedback training for substance use relapse prevention. Center for Health Promotion Research Colloquium Speaker. The University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing, Austin, TX.
Conway, F.N. (2021, November). Mobile heart rate biofeedback training for relapse prevention. TxMOUD Community of Practice ECHO Workshop, Virtual.
Perrotte, J.K., Meshesha, L., Conway, F.N., Lopez-Vergara, H., Montes, K., Lui, P., Joyner, K. (2021, April). Diversity and inclusion in addictions research: A discussion about challenges and solutions. Co-moderator.
Collaborative Perspectives on Addiction Conference, Virtual.
Conway, F.N. & Nolen, E., (2021, January). Living and thriving in the spring semester: Cultivating self-compassion and embodied wellness. School of Undergraduate Studies. The University of Texas at Austin, Virtual.
Uehara, E.S., Conway, F.N., Huber-Krum, S., Moone, R. (2020, November). Doctoral student recognition & forum on successfully navigating the job market. Panelist. Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education in Social Work. Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting, Virtual.
Holleran-Steiker, L. & Conway, F.N. (2020, November). Living and thriving during fall break. Student Engagement Series: First Year on the Forty. The University of Texas at Austin, Virtual.
Conway, F.N., (2020, July). Technology-Assisted Addiction Science. Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research Seminar Series, The University of Texas at Austin, Virtual.
Conway, F.N., (2020, April). Opportunities for social workers to engage in collaborative research. Doctorate Program Colloquium Series. Steve Hicks School of Social Work, The University of Texas at Austin, Virtual.
Conway, F.N., (2019, November). Addiction science and technology-assisted interventions. Population Research
Center, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX.
Conway, F.N., (2019, September). Biological mechanisms of behavior change: Cardiovascular functioning and behavioral health disorders. Advisory Council, Steve Hicks School of Social Work, The University of Texas at Austin. Austin, TX.
Conway, F.N., (2019, April). Obtaining and maximizing time during an addiction-focused postdoctoral fellowship. Panelist. Collaborative Perspectives on Addiction Conference, Providence, RI.
Buckman, J.F., Conway, F., Curran, J., Losch, C., Todaro, S.M. (2017, November). Data and evaluation in addiction treatment. Measurement of Success: Building an Infrastructure to Understand Change, Workshop Facilitator. Center of Alcohol & Substance Use Studies, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ.
Conway, F. (2017, July). Addiction and the brain: New concepts and theories. Workshop Leader. Summer School of Addiction Studies, Center of Alcohol & Substance Use Studies, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ.
Buckman, J.F., Conway, F. (2016, July). Addiction and the brain: New concepts and theories. Workshop Co-Leader. Summer School of Addiction Studies, Center of Alcohol & Substance Use Studies, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ.
Conway, F.N., Nolen, E., Moore, J., Jeong, H., Tang, E., Kennedy, P. (2022, April). Relapse prevention: Mobile biofeedback breathing intervention. Oral Presentation. Collaborative Perspectives on Addiction Conference, Portland, OR.
Ogle, K., Conway, F.N., Shifflet, S., Ramos, T., Brinkley, K., Claborn, K. (2022, February). Exploring the impact of anxiety, depression, and fear of COVID-19 on overdose and HIV/sexual risk behaviors. Oral Presentation. Annual Meeting of the Texas Research Society on Alcoholism, Virtual.
Claborn, K., Benzer, J., Creech, S., Conway, F.N., Lippard, E., Miri, A. (2021, October) Multisectoral partnership to develop a system-level intervention to improve overdose surveillance among community-based harm reduction organizations. Oral Presentation. Addiction Health Services Research Conference, Virtual.
Claborn, K., Conway, F.N., Brinkley, K., Ramos, T., Samora, J., Clinton, N., Jeong, H. (2021, August). Addressing the syndemic effects of COVID-19 and illicit drug use among people who use drugs. Oral Presentation. American Psychological Association Convention, Virtual.
Claborn, K., Conway, F.N., Creech, S., Lippard, E. (2020, November). The impact of COVID-19 on highly vulnerable patients with psychiatric disorders. Oral Presentation. The University of Texas COVID-19 Conference, Virtual.
Brinkley, K., Samora, J., Welch, A., Conway, F.N., Claborn, K. (2020, November). The impact of COVID-19 on drug use patterns among people who use drug. Oral Presentation. The University of Texas COVID-19 Conference, Virtual.
Claborn, K., Conway, F.N., Nydegger, L., Nordquist, E., Nolen, E., Brinkley, K., Hill, R. (2020, February). Acceptability and utility of virtual reality among people who are incarcerated who use drugs. Oral Presentation. Annual Meeting of the Texas Research Society on Alcoholism, College Station, TX.
Conway, F., Siebert, D.C. & Siebert, C.F. (2014, October). Moral distress in social work practitioners: Analysis and educational recommendations. Oral Presentation. Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Annual Program Meeting, Tampa, FL.
Conway, F., Sackville Northcott, F., von Pier, L. & Holmes, S. (2014, October). Lessons learned: International family finding and children in the U.S. foster care system. Oral Presentation. International Social Service-USA 5th Annual Conference, Baltimore, MD.
Conway, F., Deglau, E. & Gioia, D. (2013, November). Writing for social workers: Preparing MSW students for academic and professional writing. Oral Presentation. Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Annual Program Meeting, Dallas, TX.
Deglau, E., Ray, A., Akincigil, A. & Conway, F. (2013, November). Career trajectories and aspirations of public child welfare employees with an MSW. Oral Presentation. Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Annual Program Meeting, Dallas, TX.
Tretyak, V. Claborn, K., Conway, F.N., Bond, M., Kirsch, D.E., Le, V., Fromme, K., Lippard, E.T.C. (2021, June). Alcohol use during the COVID-19 pandemic: Role of recent perceived distress and coping drinking motives in individuals who use drugs. Poster Presentation. Research Society on Alcoholism Annual Meeting,
Virtual.
Espinosa, A., Ruglass, L.M., Conway, F.N., Jackson, K.M., White, H.R. (2021, June). Profiles of motives for cannabis use and differences in frequency and consequences of use among U.S. college students. Poster Presentation. College on Problems of Drug Dependence Annual Scientific Meeting, Virtual.
Conway, F.N., Moore, J., Nolen, E., Samora, J., Ahsen, A.S., Jeong, H., Cheng, A. (2021, April). Relapse prevention: Mobile biofeedback breathing intervention. Poster Presentation. The Texas Substance Use Symposium, Virtual.
Jeong, H., Conway, F.N., Kalvakuntla, S., Paramasivam, P., Patel, P., Sequeira, N., Claborn, K., (2020, November). Harm reduction workers’ perspectives on how COVID-19 is impacting people who use drugs. Poster Presentation. St. David’s Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Research: 19th Annual Conference, Virtual.
Brinkley, K., Samora, J., Conway, F.N., Kalvakuntla, S., Paramasivam, P., Patel, P., Sequeira, N., Claborn, K.,
(2020, November). Harm reduction workers’ perspectives on how COVID-19 is impacting people who use drugs.
Poster Presentation. The University of Texas COVID-19 Conference, Virtual.
Claborn, K., Conway, F.N., Nydegger, L., Nordquist, E., Nolen, E., Brinkley, K., Hill, R. (2020, April). Virtual reality in the jail system among People who use Drugs. Poster Presentation. Collaborative Perspectives on Addiction Conference, Virtual.
Conway, F.N., Sokolovsky, A., Jackson, K.M., & White, H.R. (2019, April). Simultaneous Alcohol and Marijuana Use: A Brief Measure of Motives. Poster Presentation. Collaborative Perspectives on Addiction Conference, Providence, RI.
Todaro, S., Morgano, J., Conway, F.N., Buckman, J.F., & Bates, M.E. (2018, April). Triggers for Substance Use Influence Use of an iPhone App Intervention. Poster Presentation. Rutgers University 19th Annual Department of Psychiatry Poster Session, Piscataway, NJ.
White, H.R., Conway, F., Buckman, J.F., & Loeber, R. (2017, March). Substance Use and Externalizing Problems Among Young Men. Poster Presentation. Collaborative Perspectives on Addiction Conference, Albuquerque, NM.
Conway, F., Monaco, R., Womack, J.P., Buckman, J.F. (2016, March). Creating Profiles of Alcohol Use and Aggressive Behavior in College Athletes. Poster Presentation. Collaborative Perspectives on Addiction Conference, San Diego, CA.
Rothschild, L.F., Ray, A.E., Conway, F., Barnas, P., Hoge, L., Monaco, R., Womack, J.P., Buckman, J.F. (2015, May). Creating alcohol and drug use interventions that resonate with college athletes. Poster Presentation. Society of Prevention Research Conference, Washington, D.C.
Ray, A.E., Monaco, R., Rothschild, L.F., Barnas, P., Kastuar, S., Womack, J.P., Conway, F., Buckman, J.F. (2015, May). The relationship between concussion knowledge and beliefs about symptom reporting among NCAA athletes. Poster Presentation. Society of Prevention Research Conference, Washington, D.C.
Bates, M., Rothschild, L.F., Conway, F., Monaco, R., Ray, A.E., Barnas, P., Hoge, L., Buckman, J.F. (2015, March). Identifying risk for eating disorders in student-athletes entering college. Poster Presentation. International Conference on Behavioral Addictions, Budapest, Hungary.
Barnas, P., Rothschild, L.F., Conway F., Ray, A.E., Monaco, R., Hoge, L., Kastuar, S., Buckman, J.F. (2015, March). Marijuana and health in prospective NCAA student-athletes. Poster Presentation. Collaborative Perspectives on Addiction Conference, Baltimore, MD.
Conway, F., Rothschild, L.F., Monaco, R., Buckman, J.F. (2014, May). Collaborative to reduce risk behaviors and enhance physical and psychological education of collegiate athletes. Poster Presentation. American College Health Association conference, San Antonio, TX.
Mackert, M., Conway, F.N. (2022). Mental Health and Opioid Use Disorder: Using the Prescription Monitoring Program to Improve Patient-Centered Care and Communication. Online Continuing Education Course. Video file, 11 minutes. Center for Health Communication, The University of Texas at Austin (Producer). Austin, TX.
Teaching + Mentoring
Since 2018, Conways has taught at the Steve Hicks School of Social Work. Her courses include the Foundations of Social Justice course along with Social Work Research Methods.
On top of teaching, Conway also serves as a mentor in doctoral committees for emerging scholars in the addiction research field. Her current mentorship includes working with Erin Nolen, Dissertation Title: Sexual Socialization Discourses, Body Image, and Sexual Agency in Young Adult Women Committee Member
Affiliations
2020 – Present Waggoner Center for Alcohol & Addiction Research The University of Texas at Austin, Affiliate Faculty
2019 – Present The Institute for Military & Veteran Family Wellness The University of Texas at Austin, Affiliate Faculty
2019 – Present Center of Alcohol & Substance Use Studies Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Affiliate
Awards
2020 Lora Lee Pederson Teaching Excellence Award (Steve Hicks School of Social Work, The University of Texas at Austin)
2016 Leon A. Greenberg Award for Excellence in Graduate Studies and Promise as a Scientific Investigator (Center of Alcohol & Substance Use Studies, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey)
Learn More and Contact Fiona!
Extramural
2022 – Present: Addictive Behaviors, Ad hoc peer reviewer
2019 – Present: Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, Consulting Editor
2018 – Present: Center for Motivation & Change: Foundation for Change, Advisory Council, Member
2018 – Present: Society of Addiction Psychology (APA: Division 50), Annual Meeting Planning Committee Member
2019 – Present: Journal of Psychiatric Research, Ad hoc peer reviewer
2017 – Present: Clinical Social Work Journal, Ad hoc peer reviewer
2016 – Present: Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, Ad hoc peer reviewer
Institutional
The University of Texas at Austin
2022 – Present: Graduate Assembly, Elected Member
2022 – Present: UT Medical Reserve Corp, Member
2019 – Present: University of Texas Opioid Response Consortium, Member
Steve Hick School of Social Work
2022 – Present: Faculty Search Committee, Member
2022 – Present: MSSW Students of Color Mentorship Program, Mentor
2020 – Present: Bachelor of Social Work Student Success Program, Statistical Analyst
2020 – 2021: Committee on Committees, Member
2020 – 2021: Doctoral Program Applications, Reviewer
2020 – 2020: Interview Committee, Social Work Lecturer, Member
2019 – 2020; 2021 – 2022: Executive Committee, Elected Member
2019 – Present: Foundations of Social Justice Course, Instructor Support
2018 – Present: Steve Hicks Endowment Addictions Advisory Committee, Member
2018 – Present: Bachelor of Social Work Program Committee, Member
2020 – Present Research Society on Alcoholism
2020 – Present Texas Research Society on Alcoholism
2018 – Present Society for Social Work and Research
2016 – Present Society of Addiction Psychology (APA: Division 50)
2016 – Present Council on Social Work Education
2016
Doctor of Philosophy,
Social Work Rutgers School of Social Work
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
2013
Master of Social Work
Rutgers School of Social Work
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
2001
Bachelor of Arts, Media Studies
School of Professional Studies
New York University
2022 – Present
Associate Director of Research
Addiction Research Institute
Steve Hicks School of Social Work
The University of Texas at Austin
2018 – Present
Assistant Professor
Steve Hicks School of Social Work
The University of Texas at Austin
2016 – 2018 Postdoctoral Research Associate
Center of Alcohol & Substance Use Studies
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
2014 – 2018 Instructor
Rutgers School of Social Work
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Social Work Building (SSW)
Room: 3.122B
Phone: 512-232-2491
Email: fiona.conway@utexas.edu
Mailing Address
The University of Texas at Austin
Steve Hicks School of Social Work
1925 San Jacinto Blvd 3.122B
STOP D3500
Austin, TX 78712-0358