Karen G. Chartier

Karen G. Chartier is a Professor at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Social Work. She holds additional roles as Director of the Institute for Research on Behavioral and Emotional Health and the Spit for Science Registry, and is affiliated with the Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics. Her research focuses on social, genetic, and environmental factors influencing alcohol misuse across diverse populations. Chartier’s work emphasizes using family health history to identify at-risk young adults and optimizing public health interventions. She has a background in community organizing and has led studies on culturally relevant substance use programs for African American and Latinx communities.

Chartier’s education includes a Ph.D. and M.S.W. from the University of Connecticut, and a B.A. from Clark University. She has held prior faculty positions at the University of Texas School of Public Health and completed postdoctoral training at the University of Connecticut’s Alcohol Research Center.

Her research spans disciplines, including epidemiology, genetic studies, and health disparities. Key areas include acculturation effects on alcohol use disorder, the role of neighborhood stressors in adolescent alcohol use, and leveraging genetic data for equitable healthcare. Chartier has secured grants for projects such as the National Collegiate Recovery Study and initiatives addressing opioid epidemics. She teaches courses on research methods and substance misuse prevention, integrating practice and policy perspectives.

Chartier’s work is supported by major funding bodies including the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. She actively contributes to academic communities as an associate editor of Addiction and through leadership roles in professional organizations.