Phillip Marotta

Phillip Marotta is an Assistant Professor at the Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis, specializing in public health disparities linked to the criminal justice system. His work emphasizes substance use treatment interventions for justice-involved populations and the HIV care continuum for those with opioid use disorders (OUD).

Research Focus: Marotta investigates medication-assisted treatments for OUD in carceral settings, including methadone's impact on recidivism and overdose risks post-release. He also studies how racial/ethnic discrimination affects treatment access and how law enforcement attitudes shape harm reduction policies in Tijuana, Mexico. A current NIH-funded project examines intersectional stigma in rural Missouri health centers, aiming to improve adoption of harm reduction services like syringe exchange and OUD medications.

Collaborations: Partnering with institutions such as the Missouri Rural Health Association and School of Medicine, Marotta uses mixed methods (surveys, interviews) to address provider apprehensions and systemic barriers in rural primary care clinics. Missouri is a priority state due to rising rural HIV rates and poor engagement in care.

• Scientific Awards:
  • NIH Developmental/Exploratory grant (2022)
  • Washington University Career Development Award Program fellowship
  • Johns Hopkins University fellowship

Prior Roles: Before joining the Brown School, Marotta was a postdoctoral research fellow at Yale School of Medicine. His work bridges social work, public health, and criminal justice to develop interventions for marginalized communities.