Timothy Hunt

Dr. Timothy Hunt, PhD, MSW, LCSW-r, associate research scientist at the Columbia School of Social work, has been providing substance abuse treatment, and HIV prevention and care for over 30 years. His research areas include: 1) designing, testing and disseminating HIV/STI prevention and health promoting interventions, 2) studying the effectiveness of capacity building strategies and methods to support evidence-based HIV preventions; and 3) the adaptation and translation of evidence-based interventions aimed at reducing harm due to addiction to alcohol, tobacco and other substance related cardiovascular and infectious health risks.

As Associate Director with the Social Intervention Group (SIG), the Global Health Research Center of Central Asia (GHRRCA), and Columbia’s Center for Healing of Opioid and Other Substance Use Disorders-Enhancing Intervention, Development and Implementation (CHOSEN), he is or has been PI or site PI of seven multi-site studies including UNICEF funded implementation study examining national capacity to provide social services in 10-countries in Europe and Central Asia, and the Middle East; now to be scaled up in 21 countries; the SAMHSA-funded study with Rochester and Yale (PI, Morse) called WORTH Transitions for women transitioning from prison and jails and linkage to medical transitional clinics; the CDC national adaptation and dissemination of couples-based prevention with CONNECT HIP (related to Health Promotions); the E-WORTH, PACT and BRIDGE intervention studies funded by NIDA for HIV prevention with populations formerly incarcerated, on probation and parole; and the Tomorrow’s Youth Study, examining a young adult after school intervention, Nablis, West Bank.

He is a co-investigator on NIDA/SAMHSA’s HEALing Communities Study (El, Bassel, PI) designing and leading a community engaged intervention to reduce overdose deaths by 40% through promoting of EBPs in 16 NYS counties and in collaboration with 67 overall counties from Ohio, Massachusetts, and Kentucky. He remains in a private practice and is an international MINT trainer in Motivational Interviewing having been trained by William Miller, PhD.