Dr. Karran A. Phillips serves as the Acting Director of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Appointed in July 2025, Dr. Phillips leads SAMHSA’s national efforts to expand access to high-quality, evidence-based treatment for substance use disorders and to strengthen the behavioral health system across states, tribes, and communities.
Previously, Dr. Phillips was appointed Deputy Director of CSAT in January 2022 where she advanced federal priorities to improve treatment quality, support the behavioral health workforce, integrate care across service systems, and promote access to effective substance use disorder treatment.
Before joining SAMHSA, Dr. Phillips spent more than 14 years at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) at the National Institutes of Health, including serving as Clinical Director. Here she led multidisciplinary clinical research programs examining opioid use disorder, real-time assessment of stress and craving, mobile health innovation, and the impact of environmental and social factors on substance use and recovery.
A board-certified addiction medicine and internal medicine physician, Dr. Phillips maintains an active clinical practice. She currently provides low-threshold buprenorphine treatment from a mobile care unit outside the Baltimore City Detention Center, expanding rapid access to care for individuals who are justice-involved and the surrounding community.
Dr. Phillips has authored more than 60 peer-reviewed publications and contributed to leading medical textbooks, including Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine and Principles of Addiction Medicine. She also serves as an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and has mentored numerous trainees and early-career professionals in addiction medicine, public health, and clinical research.
A graduate of the Boston University School of Medicine, Dr. Phillips holds an MSc in Tropical Public Health from Harvard University and completed her residency at the Yale School of Medicine, followed by a fellowship in General Internal Medicine and Clinical Research at Johns Hopkins.
Throughout her federal career, Dr. Phillips received numerous awards for leadership, innovation, and public service. She remains committed to advancing evidence-based treatment, improving community outcomes, and strengthening the nation’s response to substance use disorders.