Dr. Samet has a long-standing commitment to educate physicians about addiction medicine. Dr. Samet collaborates on clinical research, both locally and internationally, in two realms: elucidating the impact of substance use among patients with HIV infection; and improving coordination of addiction treatment, mental health services and primary medical care.
Dr. Samet’s research is informed by his clinical activities as a primary care physician and as Medical Director of the Boston Public Health Commission Addiction Services Division since 1995. As principal investigator or co-investigator on several NIDA- and NIAAA-funded grants, he has studied the following issues: the delay in establishing primary medical care for HIV infection; linkage of addiction treatment and primary medical care; addressing substance use issues in primary care and other medical settings; and the impact of alcohol and drug use in HIV-infected persons. His mentoring and training activities have included directing federal physician faculty training programs and serving as the primary mentor for four faculty K23 awardees from NIDA and NIAAA and three NIDA INVEST Fellows. Dr. Samet has authored more than 175 peer-reviewed publications. Dr. Samet, Professor of Medicine and Community Health Sciences at the Boston University Schools of Medicine and Public Health, has been a primary care physician in Boston since 1983.