Judith

Tsui

MD

MPH

biography

Dr. Judith Tsui sees patients at the Adult Medicine Clinic at Harborview and at Evergreen Treatment Services. She is an internist who is also certified in Addiction Medicine through the American Board of Addiction Medicine since 2013. Dr. Tsui assumed the role of Associate Director for the Addiction Medicine Fellowship at the University of Washington in 2019. In 2020, she founded the UW Medical Student Addiction Research (MedStAR) Program and currently serves as Program Director.   

Education & Training

• BA, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ (1991)
• MD, New York University, New York, NY (1997)
• Residency, Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland, OR (1998–2000)
• MPH, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA (2004)
• Fellow, University of California, San Francisco, CA (2004–2008)

Honors

• Nominee, UW School of Medicine Excellence in Mentoring Women Faculty Award (2020)
• Outstanding Research Mentor Award, UW Medical School Class of 2017 (2019)
• Research paper selected for NIDA “Director’s Report” by Dr. Nora Volkow (2016)
• Research paper selected for NIDA “Director’s Report” by Dr. Nora Volkow (2015)
• Internal Medicine Wards Attending Teaching Award, Emory University School of Medicine (2002)
• Stanley Foundation Research Award, NYU School of Medicine (1994)
• Magna Cum Laude, Princeton University (1991)

research

Dr. Judith Tsui is a Professor of Medicine at the University of Washington, based at Harborview Medical Center and Evergreen Treatment Services. As a clinician investigator, her overall goal is to improve care delivery and health outcomes for persons who use drugs who are at risk for HIV and HCV. Dr. Tsui’s current research is focused on innovative health service delivery interventions to expand access, and improve adherence, to potentially life-saving medications for persons who use drugs, including medications for opioid use disorder, HCV, and PrEP. Additionally, she has conducted research on substance use, pain, and opioid prescribing for persons living with HIV.

Dr. Tsui mentors medical students, residents, fellows, and graduate students who are interested in clinical research on substance use disorders and related co-morbidities such as HCV. She publishes in peer-reviewed journals and contributes to the popular press. 

Dr. Tsui welcomes emailed queries about research opportunities.

Research Activities and Funding

Feasibility of mHealth technology-enabled service for remote observed therapy of methadone and COVID-19 screening for patients in an opioid treatment program

Role: Principal Investigator
1R41DA053081-01

Development and Evaluation of Effectiveness of Video-Based Directly Observed Therapy for Office-Based Treatment of Opioid Use Disorders with Buprenorphine

Role: Principal Investigator
R44DA044053

Pilot Study of a Community-Pharmacy Model to Expand Access to Medications to Treat and Prevent Hepatitis C, Opioid Use Disorders, Overdose and HIV Among Persons Who Inject Drugs

Role: Principal Investigator
1R34DA047660

The UW Medical Student Addiction Research (MedStAR) Program to Address Substance Use and Disorders in Urban and Rural Communities in Five Western States

Role: Principal Investigator
1R25DA050985-01
MedStAR Program

Patient-Centered Models of HCV Care for People who Inject Drugs

Role: Site Principal Investigator
HPC-1503-28122

Pilot Study of Opioid-Receptor Antagonists to Reduce Pain and Inflammation among HIV-Infected Persons with Alcohol

Role: Principal Investigator
UH2AA026193

Rural Comorbidity and HIV consequences of Opioid use Research and Treatment Initiative (Rural Cohort) Data Coordinating Center

Role: Principal Investigator
1U24DA048538

University of Washington Provider’s Clinical Support System – Universities

Role: Principal Investigator
1H79TI081651

Selected Previous Funding

Improving Physician Opioid Prescribing for Chronic Pain in HIV-Infected Persons

1R01DA037768-03

SAMHSA Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)

The MAT Prescription Drug and Opioid Addiction project provides clinical services centered on buprenorphine treatment through the Adult Medicine Clinic at Harborview Medical Center for patients suffering from opioid use disorders. The program is based on a collaborative care model driven by a nurse care manager that optimizes physician effort.

Advancing Clinical Research Training within Addiction Residency Programs

The RAMS Program at Boston Medical Center enhances research capacity among trainees in the new medical specialty of Addiction Medicine.
5R25DA033211-05

Cited in the Popular Press

• Johnson, Carla K. Selfie medicine: Phone apps push people to take their pills. Associated Press. March 28, 2018.
• Enos, Gary A. OUD Patients Will Take Video of Their Buprenorphine Dosing. Addiction Professional. March 29, 2019.
• Black, Lester. Meth Deaths are on the Rise. The Stranger. October 9, 2019.
• University of Washington Health Sciences/UW Medicine. Co-addiction of meth and opioids hinders treatment: Study finds meth undermines success in treatment for opioid-use disorder. ScienceDaily. December 9, 2019.
• URBAN ARCH Admin Core Staff. Spotlight on…Judith Tsui. December, 2019.
• Blethen, Ryan. Meth use interferes with opioid treatment, UW study finds. The Seattle Times. January 21, 2020.
• Brownstone, Sydney and Greenstone, Scott. A medication for meth use? Seattle healthcare workers want to see if it works. The Seattle Times. July 13, 2020.

publication highlights

• Tsui JI, Evans JL, Lum PJ, Hahn JA, Page K. Association of opioid agonist therapy with lower incidence of hepatitis C virus infection in young adult injection drug users. JAMA Intern Med. 2014; 174(12):1974-81. PMCID: PMC4506774.
• Carey K, Huang W, Linas BP, Tsui JI. Hepatitis C virus testing and treatment among persons receiving buprenorphine in an office-based program for opioid use disorders. J Subst Abuse Treat. 2016 Jul; 66:54–9. PMCID: PMC5097249.
• Tsui JI, Lira M, Cheng DM, Winter MR, Alford DP, Liebschutz JM, Edwards RR, Samet JH. Chronic pain, craving, and illicit opioid use among patients receiving opioid agonist therapy. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2016 Sep 1; 166:26–31. PMCID: PMC4983520.
• Tsui JI, Miller CM, Scott JD, Corcorran MA, Dombrowski JC, Glick SN. Hepatitis C continuum of care and utilization of healthcare and harm reduction services among persons who inject drugs in Seattle. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2019 Feb 1; 195:114-120. Epub 2018 Dec 26. PMCID: PMC6440747.
• Godersky ME, Saxon AJ, Merrill JO, Samet JH, Simoni JM, Tsui JI. Provider and patient perspectives on barriers to buprenorphine adherence and the acceptability of video directly observed therapy to enhance adherence. Addict Sci Clin Pract. 2019 Mar 13; 14(1):11. doi: 10.1186/s13722-019-0139-3. PMCID: PMC6417248.
• Tsui JI, Mayfield J, Speaker EC, Yakup S, Ries R, Funai H, Leroux BG, Merrill JO. Association between methamphetamine use and retention among patients with opioid use disorders treated with buprenorphine. J Subst Abuse Treat. 2019 Nov 18. PMID: 31810594.
• Samet JH, Tsui JI, Cheng DM, Liebschutz JM, Lira MC, Walley AY, Colasanti JA, Forman LS, Christin Root C, Shanahan CW, Sullivan MM, Bridden CL, Abrams C, Harris C, Outlaw K, Armstrong WS, Del Rio C. Improving the Delivery of Chronic Opioid Therapy among People Living with HIV: A Cluster Randomized Clinical Trial [published online ahead of print, 2020 Jul 22]. Clin Infect Dis. 2020. PMID: 32697847.
• Tsui JI, Lapham G, Boudreau DM, Johnson E, Binswanger IA, Cunningham CO, Thakral M, Arnsten JH, Saxon AJ, Merrill JO, Samet JH, Bart G, Campbell CI, Bradley KA. Opioid use disorder among persons with Hepatitis C and HIV: Data from 6 health systems. Journal of General Internal Medicine, In press.