Rachel Tomko

Rachel Tomko is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), part of the Addiction Sciences Division. She holds a PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Missouri and completed postdoctoral training at MUSC/Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center. Her clinical work focuses on cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) for young adults with emotional regulation challenges.

Dr. Tomko’s research centers on improving substance use disorder (SUD) treatment outcomes by addressing individual differences in treatment response. Key areas include gender/sex differences in cannabis use disorder (CUD) remission, hormonal influences on addiction, and translational clinical trial methodology. She leads studies using ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to capture real-time data on substance use patterns and develops technology-enhanced tools for objective measurement (e.g., smartphone monitoring, biochemical verification).

Active projects include a study on progesterone’s role in CUD remission among 224 adults and a pilot testing algorithm-based smoking cessation recommendations. Her work emphasizes personalized medicine approaches, leveraging predictive models to tailor treatments based on individual characteristics. She collaborates on studies examining cannabis use in cancer patients, tobacco-cannabis co-use, and microbial associations with substance use.

Dr. Tomko’s grants and collaborations involve MUSC, NIH-funded initiatives, and VA partnerships. She co-leads the MUSC Cannabinoid Research Collaborative and the Youth Collaborative for substance use research. Her methodologies prioritize ambulatory assessment, remote monitoring, and biomarker integration to enhance trial rigor and real-world applicability.