Adriane dela Cruz

Adriane dela Cruz, M.D., Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. She specializes in addiction psychiatry, focusing on treating patients with drug and alcohol use disorders. Her clinical work integrates evidence-based treatments for methamphetamine and opioid use disorders with measurement-based care approaches.

Education:

• M.D. and Ph.D. in Neuroscience from University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), Galveston
• Psychiatry Residency at UT Southwestern
• Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship at UT Southwestern

Research Interests: Dr. dela Cruz investigates the neurobehavioral mechanisms of addiction, particularly how learning and memory circuits influence addictive behaviors. Her work emphasizes improving clinical care through innovations like podcast-based education for residents and algorithmic tools for primary care providers. She pioneered a curriculum for critical evaluation of medical literature, now used nationally, and develops evidence-based protocols for medication combinations in addiction treatment.

Awards:

• 2020-2021 Faculty Innovation in Education Award (American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology)

Administration & Grants: As Associate Program Director for resident didactics, she oversees scholarly projects and curriculum development. Her recent NIH-funded work includes studies on methamphetamine treatment efficacy and opioid care integration in primary care settings.

Labs/Teams: Active in UT Southwestern's Addiction Research Program and collaborates with the STRIDE clinical trial network for stimulant use disorders.