Lisham Ashrafioun, Ph.D.

Dr. Ashrafioun is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Rochester and a Research Investigator at the VA Center of Excellence for Suicide Prevention at the VA Finger Lakes Healthcare System in Canandaigua. Dr. Ashrafioun is interested in mitigating suicide and overdose risk among individuals with chronic pain and/or substance use disorders through psychosocial interventions and employing strategies to increase engagement in evidence-based treatments. Recent projects include addressing perceived social isolation and beliefs acting as barriers to treatment to improve overall functioning in individuals with chronic pain and substance use disorders. These clinical studies are informed by his work characterizing suicide and overdose risk in patients using substances and experiencing chronic pain through the use of national survey and administrative medical record data. By characterizing risk in this population, novel intervention targets and gaps in care can be identified to optimize treatments among those experiencing comorbid chronic pain and substance use disorders to enhance pain management, reduce substance use, and decrease suicide and overdose risk. Dr. Ashrafioun's work has been funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs and National Institutes of Health.