Damian Chase-Begay, PhD, MS (Mandan/Arikara) is an Associate Research Professor of Social Epidemiology at the University of Montana. In July 2024, he received a career development award (K01) in implementation science from NIDA to rigorously adapt an evidence-based substance abuse prevention intervention for urban Indigenous young adults in Montana to incorporate traditional ceremonial practices (TCPs). He will test the intervention via a hybrid type 2 implementation-effectiveness clinical trial. He also has a Health Equity Scholars for Action award from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to explore the scope, application, and structure of Indigenous Research Methodology in Western research settings.

Dr. Chase-Begay applied for the C-DIAS Fellowship in Addiction D&I Science to further his knowledge and skills in applying rigorous, interdisciplinary research to improve access to high quality addiction prevention and treatment for underserved urban Indigenous communities. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and a Ph.D. in Public Health from the University of Montana, where his doctoral research focused on the protective role of TCPs in an urban, multi-tribal community. He also has a Master of Science degree in Healthcare Administration and Interprofessional Leadership from the University of California, San Francisco.