Marissa Abram

Marissa Abram is an Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing at Duke University, holding this position since 2023. She earned her Ph.D. from Adelphi University in 2017 and maintains active external relationships with the International Nurses Society on Addictions (IntNSA) and Wake County HIV Clinic.

Education:

• Ph.D., Adelphi University, 2017

Dr. Abram's research centers on psychiatric-mental health nursing with critical contributions to substance use disorder treatment, harm reduction frameworks, and innovative simulation-based education. Her work addresses urgent gaps in preparing mental health nurse practitioners for traumatic scenarios like patient suicide, developing nurse-led care models for substance use disorders, and combating stigma in addiction nursing. She demonstrates strong commitment to health equity through research examining racial justice in clinical training and intersecting vulnerabilities like climate impacts on rural substance users.

Analysis of her 2023-2025 publications reveals three dominant trajectories: (1) Simulation methodology for interprofessional trauma-informed training, (2) Structural analysis of nursing's role in the national addiction crisis, and (3) Implementation science for nurse-led models of care. Her work consistently bridges clinical practice, education innovation, and policy advocacy with emphasis on vulnerable populations.

Grants:

• Faculty Scholars Program 2025 Research (Principal Investigator), Josiah Macy, Jr. Foundation (2025-2027)

Dr. Abram actively mentors through DNP projects (NURSING 975) and teaches advanced courses including NURSING 766 (Assessment and Management of Addictive Disorders). Her external partnerships with IntNSA and Wake County HIV Clinic demonstrate applied commitment to addiction nursing practice and HIV care integration. She contributes to professional discourse through editorial work with major nursing journals while advancing workforce development for behavioral health through interprofessional fellowship models.