Alexander Y. Walley, MD
Professor
Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
Medicine
General Internal Medicine

MD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
MSc, Boston University School of Public Health
AB, Harvard College

Pronouns: he/him/his



Dr Walley is Professor of Medicine and an addiction expert at Boston Medical Center and Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine focused on the medical complications of substance use, specifically HIV and overdose. Dr Walley has conducted multiple studies related to the opioid crisis and the integration of addiction specialty care and general medical care. He has served as PI on a CDC-SAMHSA-Epi-AID investigation of the surge in fentanyl-related overdose, a CDC-funded study of the Massachusetts community naloxone program which demonstrated community-level reductions in overdose death rates, and a SAMHSA-funded program that integrated addiction treatment into the clinical care of people with/at risk for HIV. He is principal investigator for CDC and NIH funded studies of community overdose interventions. For the NIH-funded HEALing Communities Study - Massachusetts, he served as the Care Continuum Core Director 2019-2025. He has worked as Co-I with addiction, overdose, and HIV expertise on NIDA and NIAAA-funded clinical trials and cohort studies.

Dr. Walley is a founding director of the Grayken Addiction Medicine Fellowship. From 2011 to 2022, 20 addiction specialists graduated, 6 of whom serve as directors for addiction medicine fellowships, 13 are faculty at medical schools, 9 at Boston University School of Medicine. He was a founding board member and treasurer of the Addiction Medicine Fellowship Director’s Association 2016-2019 and American College of Academic Addiction Medicine (ACAAM) starting in 2019. He is currently the president for ACAAM for 2023-2025. With his mentor, Dr. Jeffrey Samet, he is multi-PI on the NIDA-funded R25 Clinical Addiction Research and Education Program, which supports the Chief Resident and Fellow Immersion Training and the CARE Faculty Scholar programs.

Dr. Walley provides primary care and addiction medicine consultations in the HIV primary care clinic at Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine/BMC. He founded BMC’s inpatient Addiction Consult Service in 2015 and the Faster Paths low-barrier access substance use clinic in 2016. He previously was a site medical director for opioid treatment programs in Boston from 2007 to 2016. He serves as the medical director for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Bureau of Substance Addiction Services, the Overdose Prevention Program, and the SafeSpot Overdose Prevention Hotline. Since 2007, the MDPH program has trained and equipped over 100,000 people in Massachusetts’s communities with naloxone rescue kits, including people at-risk for overdose and their social networks.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility

In my leadership, clinical, research and education efforts I have worked to center diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility because of the disparities faced by my patients and colleagues face daily due to stigma and discrimination. I serve as an advisor to the SAMHSA-funded the Recognizing and Eliminating Disparities in Addiction Through Culturally Informed Healthcare (REACH) program, which is a national immersive training experience for under-represented medical trainees in evidenced-based culturally informed addiction health care practices. As fellowship director in collaboration with fellows and faculty, I led the development of a women’s health and substance use training track. I recruited our first OB-GYN fellow focused on women's health and substance use care. I worked with two fellows to incorporate gender-affirming care into their continuity clinical experiences. I implemented a values-based, scripted scenario interview process that sought to increase transparency and decrease bias. I included as part of our fellowship training grant, stipends for residents from under-represented in medicine groups to come to BMC for away rotations. I am currently leading, with colleagues, a research project to develop and evaluate a post-overdose outreach program toolkit to make these programs work better for Black, Latine, Indigenous and youth overdose survivors. In the CARE Unit's existing national immersion training programs that I co-lead, we have implemented outreach and curricular efforts to improve the diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility for trainees from groups under-represented in medicine. A commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility is more important now than ever. I will continue to seek ways to foster and champion DEIA efforts.

Member
Boston University
Evans Center for Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research


Faculty
Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
Medicine
Clinical Addiction Research and Education Unit

Courtesy Staff Privileges
Boston Medical Center
Medicine





Reversing Overdose Epidemics through Simulation, Collaboration, and Unified Efforts (RESCUE)
09/15/2024 - 07/31/2028 (Subcontract PI)
PI: Alexander Y. Walley, MD
University of Minnesota NIH NIDA
1R33DA062346-01

Overdose Monitoring and Prevention Hotline
08/01/2024 - 06/30/2026 (PI)
Massachusetts Dept. of Public Health / DPH


HRSA Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program
07/01/2020 - 06/30/2025 (PI)
Bureau of Health Workforce/HRSA/DHHS


Prevention and Rescue Of Fentanyl and Other Opioid Overdoses Using Optimized Naloxone Distribution Strategies (PROFOUND)
05/15/2019 - 02/28/2025 (Subcontract PI)
PI: Alexander Y. Walley, MD
Weill Cornell Medical College NIH NIDA


Massachusetts Overdose Prevention Helpline
08/15/2023 - 07/31/2024 (PI)
Massachusetts Dept. of Public Health / DPH


Redesign of Never Use Alone New England (NUA NE) Overdose Prevention Hotline
12/01/2022 - 05/31/2024 (PI)
RIZE Massachusetts


Identifying and Testing Post-Overdose Outreach Adaptations to Enhance Survivor Engagement During the COVID-19 Pandemic
06/15/2021 - 05/31/2024 (PI)
National Institute on Drug Abuse/NIH/DHHS
1R21DA053307-01A1

REACH Recognizing and Eliminating disparities in Addiction through Culturally informed Healthcare
07/01/2022 - 08/31/2023 (Subcontract PI)
PI: Alexander Y. Walley, MD
American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry HHS SAMHSA


REBOOT- Repeated-dose behavioral intervention to reduce opioid overdose: a two-site randomized… 0526.0105 RE-REBOOT
06/15/2018 - 03/31/2023 (Subcontract PI)
PI: Alexander Y. Walley, MD
Heluna Health, the new PHFE NIH NIDA


Minority Fellowship Program- James Pierre
06/01/2021 - 12/31/2022 (Subcontract PI)
PI: Alexander Y. Walley, MD
American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry HHS SAMHSA
5H79TI081358-03

Showing 10 of 20 results. Show All Results

Title


Yr Title Project-Sub Proj Pubs
2025 CE25-149 - Engaging Overdose Survivors with the SafeSpot Hotline for Secondary Overdose Prevention 1U01CE003822-01
2025 Clinical Addiction Research and Education (CARE) Program 5R25DA013582-24
2024 Clinical Addiction Research and Education (CARE) Program 5R25DA013582-23
2023 Integrating responses to stimulant overdose among post-overdose programs 5R01CE003357-03
2023 Clinical Addiction Research and Education (CARE) Program 5R25DA013582-22
2022 Identifying and Testing Post-Overdose Outreach Adaptations to Enhance Survivor Engagement During the COVID-19 Pandemic 5R21DA053307-02
2022 Clinical Addiction Research and Education (CARE) Program 2R25DA013582-21
2021 Integrating responses to stimulant overdose among post-overdose programs 1R01CE003357-01
2021 Identifying and Testing Post-Overdose Outreach Adaptations to Enhance Survivor Engagement During the COVID-19 Pandemic 1R21DA053307-01A1
2020 Knock and Talk: Public Health-Public Safety Partnerships for Post-Overdose Outreach and Prevention 5R01CE003052-03 1
Showing 10 of 19 results. Show All Results

Publications listed below are automatically derived from MEDLINE/PubMed and other sources, which might result in incorrect or missing publications. Faculty can login to make corrections and additions.

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  1. Walley AY, Wang J, To C, Duska M, Murray S, Wiggins M, Rolles A, Yan S, Kosakowski S, Bagley SM, Xuan Z, Hyde J, Formica SW. Post-overdose outreach programs in Massachusetts before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. J Subst Use Addict Treat. 2025 Sep 10; 179:209799.View Related Profiles. PMID: 40939693; DOI: 10.1016/j.josat.2025.209799;
     
  2. Zaragoza S, Silcox J, Rapisarda S, Summers C, Case P, To C, Chatterjee A, Walley AY, Komaromy M, Green TC. Correction: Developing a comprehensive inventory to define harm reduction housing. Harm Reduct J. 2025 Aug 18; 22(1):142.View Related Profiles. PMID: 40826084; PMCID: PMC12363098; DOI: 10.1186/s12954-025-01290-0;
     
  3. Paradise RK, Kimmel SD, Nurani A, Desmarais J, O'Malley S, Walley AY, Hoyos-Cespedes A, Clarke J, Taylor S, Dooley D, Bazzi AR. Building connection: overdose survivors' and professional service providers' perspectives on immediate post-overdose care. Int J Drug Policy. 2025 Aug 09; 145:104948.View Related Profiles. PMID: 40784254; DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2025.104948;
     
  4. Christine PJ, Kimmel SD, Martin SA, Massad C, Walley AY. National Estimates of Opioid Overdose Hospitalizations Resulting in Hypoxic-ischemic Brain Injury. J Gen Intern Med. 2025 Aug 07.View Related Profiles. PMID: 40775114; DOI: 10.1007/s11606-025-09804-z;
     
  5. Chang YG, McMahan VM, Matheson T, Luna Marti X, Robinson M, Rolles A, Kosakowski S, Santos GM, Walley AY, Coffin PO. The Association of Perceived Risk for Opioid Overdose and Subsequent Overdose Among a Cohort of Opioid Overdose Survivors Who Use Nonprescribed Opioids. Subst Use Addctn J. 2025 Jul 23; 29767342251355116. PMID: 40698403
     
  6. Levengood TW, Shaw LC, Zang X, Schackman BR, Walley AY, Urquhart C, Green TC, Chatterjee A, Marshall BDL, Morgan JR. A geospatial analysis of naloxone distribution patterns in the Massachusetts overdose education and naloxone distribution program (MA OEND). Drug Alcohol Depend. 2025 Sep 01; 274:112783.View Related Profiles. PMID: 40683013; PMCID: PMC12439111; DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2025.112783;
     
  7. Smith RJ, McMahan VM, McCann NC, Kosakowski S, Brennan S, Marti XL, Walley AY, Coffin PO. Emergency medical system response, emergency department visits, and hospital admissions in response to non-fatal opioid overdoses reported by a cohort of overdose survivors in San Francisco and Boston, 2019 - 2022. Drug Alcohol Depend Rep. 2025 Sep; 16:100351. PMID: 40606798; PMCID: PMC12219355; DOI: 10.1016/j.dadr.2025.100351;
     
  8. Morgan JR, Walley AY. You have to be alive to enjoy the porridge: The role of Goldilocks naloxone dosing in a world of hungry bears. Addiction. 2025 Nov; 120(11):2175-2176.View Related Profiles. PMID: 40458977
     
  9. Zwick H, O'Dea R, Barocas JA, Flam-Ross JM, Chatterjee A, Walley AY, Harris RA, Schackman BR, White LF, Chrysanthopoulou SA, Assoumou SA, Murphy SM, Morgan JR, Baptiste D, Carroll M, Linas BP. Health and Economic Outcomes of Addressing Encampments of Individuals Using Opioids. JAMA Netw Open. 2025 Jun 02; 8(6):e2517095.View Related Profiles. PMID: 40577017; PMCID: PMC12205401; DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.17095;
     
  10. Jayasinghe T, Drainoni ML, Walley A, Grella C, Majeski A, Rolles A, Cogan A, Venkatesan G, Stein MD, Larochelle M, Samet JH, Kimmel SD. "Every Time I Go in There, It Gives Me Time to Reflect": A Qualitative Study of Patient Perspectives on Substance Use, Medications for Opioid Use Disorder, and Harm Reduction Following Hospitalization for Serious Injection-Related Infection. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2025 May; 12(5):ofaf201.View Related Profiles. PMID: 40352630; PMCID: PMC12063207; DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofaf201;
     
Showing 10 of 257 results. Show More

This graph shows the total number of publications by year, by first, middle/unknown, or last author.

Bar chart showing 257 publications over 21 distinct years, with a maximum of 29 publications in 2019

YearPublications
20001
20051
20072
20085
20092
20102
20112
20126
20137
201411
20158
201611
201717
201811
201929
202027
202128
202223
202323
202427
202514

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‘Every overdose death is preventable’: BU professor details local impact of HEALing Communities Study

Greenfield Recorder 10/25/2024

Higher-dose naloxone spray didn’t save more lives, researchers find

Associated Press 2/8/2024

Everything You Need to Know about Narcan

BU Today 10/24/2023

Post-overdose outreach programs have ‘police paradox’

Futurity 8/23/2023

Can Over-the-Counter Narcan Put an End to Opioid Deaths?

The Daily Beast 3/29/2023

Advocates cheer OTC approval for Narcan, but questions remain about price and insurance

The Boston Globe 3/29/2023

Can Over-the-Counter Narcan Put an End to Opioid Deaths?

Daily Beast 3/28/2023

The Problems in the Health-Care System Are Epidemic

The Provincetown Independent 12/29/2021

Checking Arrest Warrants Undermines the Goal of Post-Overdose Outreach Visits

HealthCity 11/30/2021

Why Somerville wants to host the first safe consumption site in the US

Boston.com 7/9/2021

These Key Telehealth Policy Changes Would Improve Buprenorphine Access While Advancing Health Equity

Health Affairs Blog 9/11/2020

Treatment of Stimulant Use Disorder: A Systematic Review of Reviews

Physicians Weekly 6/22/2020

The Wall Street Journal

The Wall Street Journal 4/16/2020

Post-Detox Treatment Lowers Mortality in Opioid Use Disorder

Health Day 4/15/2020

UK’s Substance Use Research Day Highlights Work of UK Faculty and Students

UKNOW 3/5/2020

As People Die From Overdoses, Health Leaders And Police Struggle To Measure Success

New England Public Radio 2/26/2020

Recovery Coaches Offer Nonjudgmental Support To Fill Addiction Treatment Gaps

New England Public Radio 2/25/2020

Study: Medications Significantly Reduce Mortality Rates for People Struggling with Opioid Addiction in Year After Detox

Boston.com 2/25/2020

Few Patients Receive Life-Saving Treatment After Opioid Detox

HealthCity 2/25/2020

Police Offering Drug Recovery Help: 'We Can't Arrest Our Way Out Of This Problem'

NPR 2/8/2020

People Rarely Die After Using Opioids Prescribed for Them

Reason 1/23/2020

In Tents and Under Bridges, a New Cook County Sheriff's Office Program Helps Hard-to-Reach Drug Users

The Chicago Tribune 12/1/2019

Massachusetts Study Confirms That People Rarely Die After Using Opioids Prescribed for Them

Reason 10/23/2019

Study Finds Less Than 2 Percent of Overdose Victims Had Active Opioid Prescriptions

Newsweek 10/22/2019

Study Finds Only 1.3% of Overdose Victims Had Opioid Prescription

Pain News Network 10/18/2019

New Remote Dispensing Naloxone Policy Will Increase Access to a Life-Saving Drug

HealthCity 9/9/2019

Meth Has Taken Hold in Massachusetts

Boston Globe 8/13/2019

Community Narcan Training Extends Our Life-Saving Capacity

HealthCity 6/11/2019

Dr. Alex Walley of the Grayken Center Addiction at BMC

All About Boston 2/14/2019

Expanding Access to Naloxone

Apa's Medical Mind 1/10/2019

Nurse Denied Life Insurance Coverage Because She Specializes In Addiction Treatment

Inquisitr 12/15/2018

Nurse Denied Life Insurance Because She Carries Naloxone

NPR Shots 12/13/2018

Markey Demands Details About Life Insurance Denials For Carrying Naloxone

WBUR 12/10/2018

Life Insurers Declining Coverage For Those Who Purchase Naloxone

Becker’s Hospital Review 12/6/2018

Knocking On Doors To Get Opioid Overdose Survivors Into Treatment

NPR 10/24/2018

Knocking On Doors To Get Opioid Overdose Survivors Into Treatment

Texas Public Radio 10/24/2018

2023 American Society of Addiction Medicine: National Training Directors Award
2023 Boston University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine: Research Mentor Award
2019 Society for General Internal Medicine: Frederick L. Brancati Mentorship and Leadership Award
2017 Association for Multidisciplinary Education and Research in Substance Use and Addiction : W. Anderson Spickard, Jr. Mentorship Award
2017 Boston University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine: Clinical Innovation Award for the Addiction Consult Service
2016 Boston Medical Center Section of General Internal Medicine: Most Valuable Player
2012 Association for Multidisciplinary Education and Research in Substance Use and Addiction: New Investigator/Educator Award
2011 Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine: Junior Faculty Mentoring Award
2011 Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine: Evans Junior Faculty Merit Award
2010 New England Region Society of General Internal Medicine: Clinician Investigator Award
2007 Addiction Health Services Research Conference: Junior Investigator Travel Award
2003 National Institute on Drug Abuse: Women and Gender Young Investigator CPDD Travel Award
In addition to these self-described keywords below, a list of MeSH based concepts is available here.

AIDS
HIV
Methadone
Naloxone
Overdose
Suboxone
Opioids

Available to Mentor as: (Review Mentor Role Definitions):
  • Advisor
  • Career Mentor
  • Co-Mentor or Peer Mentor
  • Project Mentor
  • Research / Scholarly Mentor
Contact for Mentoring:
  • Email (see 'Contact Info')

801 Massachusetts Ave Crosstown Center
Boston MA 02118
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617.414.6975
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