Departmental Affiliations
Center & Institute Affiliations
Olivia K Sugarman, PhD, MPH, studies how policies can promote access to high-quality health services for historically marginalized people, specifically people who use drugs.
Research Interests
Substance use, mental health, opioid use disorder, drug supply, HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C, incarceration and health, health policy, health services research, health equity, program and policy evaluation, Medicaid, social determinants of health, mixed methods research, community partnered research
Additional Links
Experiences & Accomplishments
Olivia K. Sugarman, PhD, MPH is an Assistant Scientist in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Dr. Sugarman is a health policy and services researcher. She applies mixed methods approaches, health behavior frameworks, and community-partnered research principles to study mental health and HIV and HCV, specifically in people who use drugs and people affected by the criminal-legal system. Dr. Sugarman also serves as lead faculty with the evaluation team on the Bloomberg Overdose Prevention Initiative – a multi-year campaign focused on seven states to implement evidence-based overdose reduction strategies. Dr. Sugarman's most recent projects focus on opportunities to co-treat chronic hepatitis c and opioid use disorder, enhance access to naloxone and opioid use disorder treatment, and policy responses to xylazine as a drug supply adulterant.
Select Publications
Selected publications from the last 5 years
Sugarman OK, Shah H, Whaley S, McCourt A, Saloner B, Bandara S. A content analysis of legal policy responses to xylazine in the illicit drug supply in the United States. International Journal of Drug Policy. 2024;129:104472. doi:10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104472
Sugarman OK, Saloner B, Richards TM, et al. Association of buprenorphine retention and subsequent adverse outcomes following non-fatal overdose: An analysis using statewide linked Maryland databases. Drug and Alcohol Dependence. 2024;258:111281. doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2024.111281
Sugarman OK, Li W, Saloner B. Medications For Opioid Use Disorder Increased Among Louisiana Medicaid Enrollees During Policy Reforms, 2018–21. Health Affairs. 2024;43(1):46-54. doi:10.1377/hlthaff.2023.00715
Sugarman OK, Hulsey EG, Heller D. Achieving the Potential of Naloxone Saturation by Measuring Distribution. JAMA Health Forum. 2023;4(10):e233338. doi:10.1001/jamahealthforum.2023.3338
Sugarman OK, Wendell DA, Wennerstrom AB, Bachhuber MA, Robinson WT. Examining Pre-Release Interventions on HIV Outcomes 12 Months After Release from Louisiana State Corrections. AIDS and Behavior. Published online June 12, 2023. doi:10.1007/s10461-023-04106-z