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Researchers' Profiles

Cheryl Teruya, Ph.D.

Cheryl Teruya, Ph.D.

Principal Investigator

Cheryl Teruya, Ph.D., is a researcher at the UCLA Integrated Substance Abuse Programs (ISAP).  Her recent work has focused on the evaluation of California's Organized Delivery System (ODS) Drug Medi-Cal waiver as well as the integration of substance use disorder (SUD) services with primary care and mental health. Dr. Teruya was Principal Investigator for a NIDA-funded study exploring California's Substance Abuse and Crime Prevention Act (SACPA) as a turning point in participants' life course drug use trajectories, Coordinator for the NIDA-funded UCLA Center for Advancing Longitudinal Research (CALDAR), and Co-Principal Investigator for a study examining treatment motivation among drug users.  She has directed multiple studies including those focused on: the integration of behavioral health and primary care services in community-based health centers; retention among participants randomized to buprenorphine and methadone in a multi-site clinical trial; the readiness of substance abuse treatment providers for implementing research into practice; and the impact of California’s SACPA on SUD treatment systems. In addition, Dr. Teruya has led many qualitative studies involving diverse groups of stakeholders. Prior to ISAP, Dr. Teruya examined organizational change issues in public institutions and helped groups manage and deal with change in corporate settings through workshops, teambuilding activities, and consultation. She has been at ISAP since 1999.

  • University of California, Los Angeles, B.A., 1979, Psychology
  • University of California, Los Angeles, M.A., 1995, Education
  • University of California, Los Angeles, Ph.D., 1999, Education

Click here for PDF List of Publications

  • Teruya, C., Schwartz, R.P., Mitchell, S.G., Hasson, A.L., Thomas, C., Buoncristiani, S.H., Hser, Y., Wiest, K., Cohen, A.J., Glick, N., Jacobs, P., McLaughlin, P., & Ling, W. (2014).  Patient perspectives on buprenorphine/naloxone: A qualitative study of retention during the Starting Treatment with Agonist Replacement Therapies (START) study.  Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 46(5), 412-426. 
  • Urada, D., Teruya, C., Gelberg, L., & Rawson, R. (2014). Integration of substance use disorder services with primary care: Health center surveys and qualitative interviews. Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy, 9, 15. doi:10.1186/1747-597X-9-15.
  • Dickerson, D., Robichaud, F., Teruya, C., Nagaran, K., & Hser, Y. (2012). Utilizing drumming for American Indians/Alaska Natives with substance use disorders: A focus group study. American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 38(5), 505-510.
  • Teruya, C., Longshore, D., Andersen, R. M., Arangua, L., Nyamathi, A., Leake, B., & Gelberg, L. (2010). Health and health care disparities among homeless women. Women & Health, 50(8): 719-36.
  • Teruya, C., & Hser, Y. (2010). Turning points in the life course: Current findings and future directions in drug use research. Current Drug Abuse Reviews, 3(3),189-95. PMCID: PMC3010246
  • Gelberg, L., Andersen, R., Longshore, D., Leake, B., Nyamathi, A., Teruya, C., & Arangua, L. (2009). Hospitalizations among Homeless Women: Are there Differences According to Ethnicity and Drug Usage? Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research, 36(2), 212-32
  • Herbeck, D. M., Hser, Y., Teruya, C. (2008). Empirically supported substance abuse treatment approaches: A survey of treatment providers’ perspectives and practices. Addictive Behaviors, 33(5), 699-712.
  • Longshore, D., & Teruya, C. (2006). Treatment motivation in drug users: A theory-based analysis. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 81, 179-188.
  • Hser, Y., Teruya, C., Brown, A. H., Huang, D., Evans, E., & Anglin, M. D.; (2007). Impact of California’s Proposition 36 on the drug treatment system: Treatment capacity and displacement.; American Journal of Public Health, 97(1), 104-109.
  • Teruya, C., Hardy, M., Hser, Y., & Evans, E. (2006). Implementation of a statewide outcome monitoring system: Lessons learned from substance abuse treatment provider staff. Qualitative Health Research, 16, 337-352.
  • Hardy, M., Teruya, C., Longshore, D., & Hser, Y. (2005). Initial implementation of California’s Substance Abuse and Crime Prevention Act: Findings from focus groups in ten counties. Evaluation and Program Planning, 28, 221-232.
  • Grella, C., Hser, Y., Teruya, C., & Evans, E. (2005). How can research-based findings be used to improve practice? Perspectives from participants in a statewide outcomes monitoring study. Journal of Drug Issues, 35(3), 469-484.
  • Hser, Y., Huang, D., Teruya, C., & Anglin, M. D. (2004). Diversity of drug abuse treatment utilization patterns and outcomes. Evaluation and Program Planning,27(3), 309-319.
  • Hser, Y., Huang, Y., Teruya, C., & Anglin, M.D. (2004). Gender differences in treatment outcomes over a three-year period. Journal of Drug Issues, 34(2), 415-436.
  • Hser, Y., Teruya, C., Evans, E., Longshore, D., Grella, C., & Farabee, D. (2003). Treating drug-abusing offenders: Initial findings from a five-county study on the impact of California’s Proposition 36 on the treatment system and patient outcomes. Evaluation Review, 27(5), 479-505.