Cara M Murphy

Cara M Murphy is an Assistant Professor of Behavioral and Social Sciences at Brown University’s School of Public Health. Her work focuses on developing behavioral interventions targeting substance use disorders and obesity, particularly among populations facing intersecting health disparities. Dr. Murphy holds a PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Georgia and completed a clinical residency at Alpert Medical School (Brown University), followed by a NIDA T32 postdoctoral fellowship in Substance Abuse Intervention Research at Brown’s Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies.

Her research integrates behavioral economics principles, qualitative methods, and clinical trial designs to address comorbid health behaviors. Key areas include multiple health behavior change interventions, food addiction, and reducing stigma-related barriers to care. She leads NIH-funded studies (e.g., K23 career development award) exploring novel approaches to help individuals with obesity and smoking cessation needs.

Recent work examines implementation challenges for evidence-based practices like contingency management in opioid treatment programs, demonstrating cost-effectiveness of virtual training methods. Dr. Murphy also investigates the role of impulsivity traits and environmental factors (e.g., flavored nicotine products) on addictive behaviors. Her research bridges basic science (e.g., cue-reactivity studies) with real-world clinical applications.

In 2024, she received the School of Public Health’s Dean’s Award for Excellence in Mentoring. She teaches Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, & Policy (PHP 1551) and collaborates with multidisciplinary teams across Brown’s research institutes.