Researchers' Profiles

Valerie Pearce Antonini, M.P.H.

Project Director/Researcher

Ms. Antonini has worked in the field of substance abuse and addiction since 1998. She is currently a project director and manager at UCLA Integrated Substance Abuse Programs (UCLA-ISAP) overseeing several large-scale projects. Over the course of her work with ISAP, she has led the implementation of a NIDA funded multi-site national methamphetamine medication-testing network (MCTG) spanning over a 10-year period, as well as a California-based multi-site 5-year telephone continuing care study entitled, “Four Models of Aftercare Support for Stimulant Abusers.” In addition, she has managed ISAP’s state evaluation projects funded through California’s Departments of Alcohol and Drug Programs (ADP) and Health Care Services (DCHS). Efforts include the development and implementation of a California state initiative to re-engineer the substance use treatment delivery toward a chronic care model and continuum of services to enhance and better integrate substance use service delivery into the broader health care system as urged under Health Care Reform and the Affordable Care Act; and most recently to manage the evaluation of the California Drug Medi-Cal Organized Delivery System (DMC-ODS) Waiver amendment.  Ms Antonini also manages a PCORI-funded engagement award tasked to gather addiction treatment stakeholders to discuss and identify key areas to improve the delivery of opiate treatment services and patient centered outcomes. Finally, over the last 10 years, she has had the opportunity to manage much of the international project portfolio led by Dr. Richard Rawson. She has experience organizing and facilitated several large scale training initiatives and conferences (national and international), has developed monitoring strategies, oversees compliance of regulatory requirements, can develop and implement budget and contract guidelines, and has the capability to supervise day-to-day activities to execute multiple and simultaneous project designs.

  • University of California, Los Angeles, M.P.H., 2007, Public Health
  • University of California, Los Angeles, B.A., 1996, Sociology
  • Program management of large clinical trials, behavioral trials, SUD service delivery evaluation and improvement projects, and International capacity building projects
  • Technical Assistance in regulatory affairs, good research practices, and implementation planning
  • Executive administrative operations including: budget development and monitoring, contract and grant proposal preparation and writing, facilities and lease management
  • Padwa, H., Teruya, C., Tran, E., Lovinger, K., Antonini, V.P., Overholt, C., & Urada, D. (2015). The implementation of integrated behavioral health protocols in primary care settings in Project Care. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 62, 74-83. doi: 10.1016/j.jsat.2015.10.002.

  • Farabee, D., McCann, M., Brecht, M.-L., Cousins, S. J., Antonini, V. P., Lee, A. B., Hemberg, J., Karno, M. and Rawson, R. A. (2013), An Analysis of Relapse Prevention Factors and Their Ability to Predict Sustained Abstinence Following Treatment Completion. The American Journal on Addictions. doi: 10.1111/j.1521-0391.2013.00328.x

  • Antonini, V. P., Oeser, B. T. and Urada, D. The California Integration Learning Collaborative: A forum to address challenges of SUD-primary care service integration. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 44(4). Sept-Oct 2012

  • Padwa, H., Urada, D., Antonini, V. P., Ober, A., Crèvecoeur-MacPhail, D. A., and Rawson, R. A. Integrating substance use disorder services with primary care: The experience in California. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 44(4). Sept-Oct 2012.

  • Cousins, S.J., Antonini, V.P., and Rawson, R. Utilization, Measurement, and Funding of Recovery Supports and Services. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 44(4). Sept-Oct 2012.

  • Urada, D., Schaper, E., Alvarez, L., Reilly, C., Dawar, M., Field, R., Antonini, V., Oeser, B., Crèvecoeur-MacPhail, D.A., & Rawson, R.. Perceptions of mental health and substance use disorder services integration among the workforce in primary care settings. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 44(4). Sept-Oct 2012.

  • AM Elkashef, R. Rawson, A. Anderson, S. Li, T. Holmes, E. Smith, N. Chiang, R. Kahn, F. Vocci, W. Ling, V. Pearce, M. McCann, J. Campbell, C. Gorodetzky, W. Haning, B. Carlton, J. Mawhinney, D, Weis. Bupropion for the Treatment of Methamphetamine Dependence. Neuropsychopharmacology advance online publication, 20 June 2007; doi:10.1038/sj.npp.1301481.

  • A. Elkashef, R. Rawson, E. Smith, V. Pearce, F. Flammino, J. Campbell, R. Donovick, C. Gorodetzky, W. Haning, J. Mawhinney, M. McCann, D. Weis, L. Williams, W. Ling, F. Vocci. The NIDA Methamphetamine Clinical Trials Group: a strategy to increase clinical trials research capacity. Addiction, 2007, 102, (Suppl. 1), 107–113.

  • Rawson, R. Gonzales, R., Pearce, V., Marinelli-Casey, P., Ang, A, & Brummer, J. Methamphetamine Dependence and Human Immunodeficiency Virus Risk Behavior. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 2008 Oct; 35 (3): 279-284. Epub 2008 Mar 7.