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Dennis J. Hand, PhD

Associate Professor
Executive Director, Jefferson Center for Maternal Addiction Treatment, Education, and Research

Contact Information

hand

Jefferson Center for Maternal Addiction, Treatment, Education and Research
1233 Locust Street
Suite 401
Philadelphia, PA 19107

Email Dennis Hand

215-955-8419

Associate Professor
Executive Director, Jefferson Center for Maternal Addiction Treatment, Education, and Research

RESEARCH & CLINICAL INTERESTS

  • Pharmacological treatment of opioid use disorder through all phases of the lifespan, including pregnancy
  • Treatment and management of neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome 
  • Care management models within substance use disorder treatment program
  • Tobacco and polysubstance use disorder treatments for pregnant and parenting individual
  • Strategies to increase access to comprehensive reproductive health services for individuals with substance use disorder
  • Program development and strategic planning for integrated substance use disorder treatment services

Education

  • Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Vermont, Behavorial Pharmacology of Human Drug Dependence (2015)
  • PhD, Central Michigan University, Applied ExperimentalPsychology (2012)
  • MS,  Central Michigan University, Experimental Psychology (2008)
  • BS, Central Michigan University, Psychology (2006)

PUBLICATIONS (LAST FIVE YEARS)

  • Gannon M, McLaughlin K, Short V, Nguyen T, Hand DJ, Abatemarco DJ. (2025). Understanding how persons with maternal opioid use disorder experience public food assistance programs WIC and SNAP. Substance Use and Addiction Journal. https://doi.org/10.1177/29767342251336041
  • Khan NZ, Hand DJ, Qian E, Conklin JL, Johnson E, McCarthy JJ, Ramage M, Rudolf V, Schauberger C, Stoller K, Terplan M, & Jones HE. (2025). Split-dosing of methadone during pregnancy and postpartum period: a systematic review of outcomes. Journal of Addiction Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1097/ADM.0000000000001470
  • Gannon M, Hand D, Short V, Carrubba T, Thiele G, Pancoe S, Lawson S, Haerizadeh-Yazdi N, Scott K, Abatemarco D. (2025). Someone is there with you through this [pregnancy] that isn't seeing you through a negative lens: Considerations for integrating doula referrals into opioid treatment programs. Journal of Substance Use and Addiction Treatment, 169. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.josat.2024.209585
  • Gannon M, Short V, Keith S, Hand D, Owen Oliner L, Yang A, Haerizadeh-Yazdi N, IzeIyamu A, Kelly E, Weinstein L, Goyal N, Jeminiwa R, Abatemarco D. (2024). Scarce Perinatal Social Support for Women with OUD: Opportunities for Doula Services. Midwifery, 138. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2024.104169
  • Iyer NS, Ferguson E, Yan V, Hand DJ, Abatemarco DJ, & Boelig R. (2024). Standard versus rapid inpatient methadone titration for pregnant patients with opioid use disorder: A retrospective cohort study. Journal of Addiction Medicine, 18, 670-674. https://doi.org/10.1097/ADM.0000000000001339
  • Goyal NK, Sood E, Gannon MA, Harris G, Hand DJ, Abatemarco DJ, Short VL. (2024). Priorities for well child care of families affected by parental opioid use disorder. Journal of Addiction Medicine, 18(1), 48-54. https://doi.org/10.1097/ADM.0000000000001243
  • Short VL, Spritzer K, Jaffe GA, Sabistky M, Abatemarco D, McLaughlin K, Hand DJ, & Gannon M. Perceptions of primary care among women in treatment for opioid use disorder: a qualitative study. (2024). Substance Use & Addiction Journal. https://doi.org/10.1177/29767342241253129
  • Gannon M, Hand D, Short V, McLaughlin K, Flood T, Shaffer K, Lenegan N, Abatemarco D, & DiDonato S. (2024). Maternal perspective of inpatient methadone initiation: opportunities to increase retention in treatment. Journal of Addiction Medicine, 18(2), 122-128. https://doi.org/10.1097/ADM.0000000000001252
  • Short VL, Hand DJ, Mancuso F, Raju A, Sinnott J, Caldarone L, … Abatemarco DJ. (2024). Group prenatal care for pregnant women with opioid use disorder: Preliminary evidence for acceptability and benefits compared with individual prenatal care. Birth, 51(1), 144-151. https://doi.org/10.1111/birt.12775 8
  • Gannon M, McLaughlin K, Short V, Wu A, Inguito K, Hand DJ, Abatemarco DJ. (2023). Food insecurity and psychological distress amongst parenting women in treatment for opioid use: identifying barriers to nutritional equity and implications for future intervention research. American Journal of Health Promotion. https://doi.org/10.1177/08901171231192840. 
  • Goyal N, Gannon M, Sood E, Harris G, Franko E, Abatemarco DJ, Hand DJ, Leib S, Short VL. (2023). Group well child care for mothers with opioid use disorder: Framework for implementation. Maternal Child Health Journal. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-023-03762-w
  • Short VL, Abatemarco DJ, Sood E, Hand DJ, Gannon M, Hossain J, & Goyal NK. (2023). The Child Healthcare at MATER Pediatric Study (CHAMPS): a 2-arm cluster randomized control trial of group well child care for mothers in treatment for opioid use disorder and their children. Trials, 24(1), 333. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-023-07357-2
  • Short VL, Hand DJ, Pyfer L, Steiger H, Gannon M, Jaffe G, & Abatemarco DJ. (2022). Health status and preventive health services among reproductive-aged women in treatment for opioid use disorder. Women’s Health Reports, 3, 998-1005. https://doi.org/10.1089/whr.2022.0057
  • Short VL, Gannon M, Sood E, Harris G, Kale A, Abatemarco DJ, Hand DJ, & Goyal N. (2022). Opportunities to increase well child care engagement for families affected by maternal opioid use disorder: Perceptions of mothers and clinicians. Academic Pediatrics. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acap.2022.07.013
  • Gannon M, Mackenzie M, Short V, Reid L, Hand D, & Abatemarco DJ. (2022). “You can't stop the waves, but you can learn how to surf”: Realized mindfulness in practice for parenting women in recovery. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 44, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctcp.2022.101549
  • Gannon M, Short V, Becker M, Parikh S, McGuigan K, Hand DJ, Keith S, Abatemarco DJ (2022). Doula Engagement and Maternal Opioid Use Disorder (OUD): Experiences of women in OUD recovery during the perinatal period. Midwifery, 106, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2021.103243
  • Duan WR & Hand DJ. (2021). Association between opioid overdose death rates and educational attainment – United States, 2010-2019. Preventive Medicine, 153, 106785. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2021.106785
  • Hand DJ, Fischer AC, Gannon ML, McLaughlin KA, Short VL, & Abatemarco DJ. (2021). Comprehensive and compassionate responses for opioid use disorder among pregnant and parenting women. International Review of Psychiatry (Abingdon, England), 33, 514-527. https://doi.org/10.1080/09540261.2021.1908966
  • Rosenthal EW, Short VL, Cruz Y, Barber C, Baxter JK, Abatemarco DJ, Roman AR, & Hand DJ. (2021). Racial inequity in methadone dose at delivery in pregnant women with opioid use disorder. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 131, 108454. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsat.2021.108454
  • Kranzler HR, Washio Y, Zindel LR, Wiley P, Srinivas S, Hand DJ, Hoffman M, Oncken C, & Schnoll RA. (2021). Placebo-controlled trial of bupropion for smoking cessation in pregnant women. American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology: MFM. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajogmf.2021.100315
  • Abatemarco DJ, Gannon M, Hand DJ, Short VL, McLaughlin K, & Martin D. (2021). The use of mindfulness dialogue for life in substance use disorder treatment in the time of COVID-19. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 122. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsat.2020.108213
  • Hand DJ. (2021). Methadone for opioid use disorder. In FG Moeller & M Terplan (Eds.). Primer on Substance Use Disorder. New York: Oxford University Press.
  • Hand DJ. (2020). Nicotine use among pregnant and reproductive-age women: treatment and new frontiers. Topics in Obstetrics & Gynecology, 40(17), 1-8.
  • Hand DJ. (2020). Nicotine use among pregnant and reproductive-age women: epidemiology and pharmacology. Topics in Obstetrics & Gynecology, 40(16), 1-6. 
  • Short VL, Hand DJ, Gannon M, & Abatemarco DJ. (2020). Maternal characteristics associated with preconception marijuana use: a multi-state analysis of the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS). American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 59, 555-561.
  • Kranzler HR, Washio Y, Zindel LR, Lynch KG, Hand D, Tyndale RF, Oncken C, & Schnoll R. (2020). Pregnant smokers receiving opioid agonist therapy have an elevated nicotine 9 metabolite ratio: a replication study. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 26, 1923-1927. https://doi.org/10.1093/ntr/ntaa066.
  • Chung EK, Short VL, Hand DJ, Gubernick RS, & Abatemarco DJ. (2020). Poor prenatal care does not predict well child care for children born to mothers with opioid use disorder. Journal of Substance Use, 25, 482-488. https://doi.org/10.1080/14659891.2020.1736665.

FUNDING (LAST FIVE YEARS)

  • 2022-2025, Co-Investigator. R03HS028498-01A1 (AHRQ). Doula support engagement in a population of pregnant and parenting women in drug treatment.
  • 2024- present, Principal Investigator. Elevance Health Foundation. Preparing Opioid Treatment Programs and Providers for Effective Methadone Management Among Pregnant People. 
  • 2024-present, Co-Investigator. NIH IMPROVE-Community Implementation Program (CIP). Addressing the Needs of Pregnant Women with Opioid Use Disorder with Group Prenatal Care. 
  • 2024-present, Co-Investigator. 1H79 TI087343 (SAMHSA). Project TINES (Trauma-Informed Nursing Education on Substance Use). 
  • 2021-2025, Co-Investigator. Pennsylvania Department of Drug & Alcohol Programs, MATER Academy: A Path to Recovery, Education, Employment, and Empowerment. 
  • 2020-2025, Co-Investigator. R18HS027399 (AHRQ). Group well child care intervention for infants of mothers in treatment for opioid use disorder. 
  • 2018-2024, Co-Investigator. 1H79 TI080335 & 01S1 (SAMHSA). Supporting Women and Children in Substance Abuse Recovery – A Family Unity Approach
  • 2020-2022, Principal Investigator. Pennsylvania Department of Drug & Alcohol Programs State Opioid Response Award, Supporting Engagement and Recovery in Families Affected by Stimulant Use
  • 2017-2020, Co-Investigator. R01HD070795-01A1 (NIH/NICHD) Prevention of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome.
  • 2017-2019,  Co-Investigator. R21DA043983-01A1 (NIH/NIDA) Neurobiology of Caregiving in Opioid Dependent Mothers. 

AWARDS & HONORS (SELECTED)

  • 2024, Alumni Award for distinction in professional practice, Central Michigan University 
  • 2020, Faculty Team Achievement Award, Thomas Jefferson University
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