Larissa J Mooney

Larissa J Mooney is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Medicine. Her research and clinical work focuses on substance use disorders, with particular expertise in opioid use disorder, methamphetamine use disorder, and cannabis use disorder. She has received multiple NIH grants as a Co-Principal Investigator for studies related to addiction treatment and behavioral interventions.

Dr. Mooney's research interests center on developing and evaluating interventions for substance use disorders, with a strong emphasis on medication-assisted treatment, telemedicine applications in rural settings, and understanding the impact of social determinants of health on treatment outcomes. Her work explores how exercise interventions might affect neural function in methamphetamine users, how decision aids can improve medication treatment for opioid use disorder, and how functional outcomes change with reductions in cannabis use. She has made significant contributions to understanding the relationship between co-occurring mental health conditions and substance use disorders, and how these comorbidities affect treatment outcomes.

Analysis of Dr. Mooney's recent publications reveals a strong focus on rural healthcare disparities in substance use treatment, telemedicine applications during and after the pandemic, and the impact of social determinants of health on treatment outcomes. Her work increasingly examines how to expand access to medication for opioid use disorder in primary care settings, particularly in underserved rural communities. There's also a clear emphasis on understanding demographic disparities in treatment outcomes and developing tailored interventions for special populations including youth and those with co-occurring disorders.

Dr. Mooney has served as Co-Principal Investigator on multiple NIH-funded research projects including:

• Greater Southern California Node of the Clinical Trials Network (NIH UG1DA049435)
• Exercise in Methamphetamine Use Disorder: Dopamine Receptor Upregulation and Neural Function (NIH R01DA045162)
• Patient Decision Aid for Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder (NIH R33DA045844 and R21DA045844)
• Assessing Functional Outcomes Associated with Reductions in Cannabis Use (NIH R33DA042280 and R21DA042280)

Her work has been widely disseminated through numerous publications in high-impact journals, and she collaborates extensively with researchers across multiple institutions including USC, UC Davis, and other UC campuses. Dr. Mooney is particularly active in translating research findings into clinical practice, with a focus on improving access to evidence-based treatments for substance use disorders in community settings.