Karen Hartwel

Dr. Karen Hartwell is an Associate Professor in the Addiction Sciences Division in the Department of Psychiatry at the Medical University of South Carolina.   Dr. Hartwell in unusual in that she made a mid-life career change and returned to academics to complete a fellowship in addiction psychiatry to better address the substance use disorders that commonly co-occur with psychiatric disorders.  Her research career has focused on understanding the underlying neurobiology and improving treatment outcomes of substance use disorders.  She has collaborated on variety of research studies involving opioids, cocaine, cannabis, alcohol and tobacco use disorders. She has been involved in multiple clinical trials including multisite trials, ranging from Phase 2 to Phase 4, investigating a variety of pharmacotherapeutic agents and TMS for the treatment of substance use disorders.   Dr. Hartwell has extensive clinical experience as a general and addiction psychiatrist in the treatment of SUDs with/without comorbid psychiatric disorders. Until recently she was the Medical Director of the Substance Treatment and Recovery Program at the Ralph H Johnson VAMC.  She is now leading several initiatives to address the opioid epidemic including becoming the medical director of MUSC’s Project ECHO Opioid Use Disorder.