Christopher W. Shanahan, MD, MPH, FACP, is a board-certified primary care physician specializing in Internal Medicine and Addiction Medicine, with over 14 years of experience in clinical and research Information Technology (IT). Dr. Shanahan brings a distinctive combination of expertise in: 1. Clinical and Research Medical Informatics & Information Technology, 2. Substance Use Disorders and Chronic Pain, and 3.Community Medicine.
Dr. Shanahan excels in evaluating IT needs for research projects—whether IT-focused or IT-enabled—and collaborates on project design, development, and technical assessments for clinical studies leveraging IT resources. Through his extensive local and national professional network, he facilitates the development of practical and implementable research plans and programs.
In addition to his informatics expertise, Dr. Shanahan has a strong focus on substance use disorders. He has led and collaborated on designing IT-enhanced initiatives and research studies addressing substance use and addiction treatment.
As the Director of the Community Medicine Unit within General Internal Medicine (GIM), Dr. Shanahan supports Internal Medicine Physicians and other Advanced Practice Clinicians working in the 13 Boston Medical Center-affiliated Community Health Centers, collectively known as the Boston HealthNet. He actively engages with community-based organizations and has over 24 years of hands-on experience in community-based clinical care.
Since 2018, Dr. Shanahan has served as the Medical Director of the Massachusetts Consultation Service for the Treatment of Addiction and Pain (MCSTAP), demonstrating his commitment to improving addiction and pain treatment through innovative approaches and collaboration.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility
My entire medical career has been devoted to working in numerous underserved neighborhoods/cities that are home to communities of persons of color a/o individuals that are poor or marginalized because of stigmatized behaviors or medical/social conditions (DEIA) (e.g., Homelessness, Substance Use Disorder, Serious Mental Illness, etc.) and the medical and social consequences of these unhealthy states and exposures. I have worked with patients in these communities suffering from these issues for my entire professional career. I have cared for patients in Newark, NJ, Bronx, NYC, and in multiple Boston neighborhoods, including the South End, Roxbury, Roxbury Crossing, Jamaica Plain, Dorchester Mattapan, Roslindale, and Hyde Park. I have worked in Homeless shelters and a federally funded Community Health Center. I have used the Community Medicine Unit to support the BMC-affiliated clinicians working in these and other underserved communities, subsequently improving their patients' care. The Kathleen Bennet Memorial Lecture in Community Medicine has enhanced attention, awareness, and quality in the care of populations by community-based clinicians. I have also worked to help recruit and place physicians interested in working with Underserved Urban Primary Care Populations by recruiting and helping facilitate the hiring of committed and highly trained Primary Care Physicians for the Boston HealthNet Network.
Member
Boston University
Evans Center for Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research
Faculty
Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
Medicine
Clinical Addiction Research and Education Unit
This tab shows grant data from BMC Sponsored Research. It includes:
- Grant title
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- PI name, if this person is not the PI (the name will link if PI has a BU Profile)
- Funding source(s). An arrow indicates the flow of funding if multiple sponsors.
- Some grants will show an agency award/project number, and may be a link.
- Data is sorted by project end date, and updated monthly.
This tab shows grant data from BU Sponsored Research. It includes:
- Grant title
- Project period and this person’s role on the grant
- PI name, if this person is not the PI (the name will link if PI has a BU Profile)
- Funding source(s). An arrow indicates the flow of funding if multiple sponsors.
- Some grants will show an agency award/project number, and may be a link.
- Data is sorted by project end date, and updated monthly.
This tab shows grant data that did not automatically get imported into Profiles
from BU or BMC sources.
- Grant title
- Project period and this person’s role on the grant
- PI name, if this person is not the PI (the name will link if PI has a BU Profile)
- Funding source(s). An arrow indicates the flow of funding if multiple sponsors.
- Some grants will show an agency award/project number, and may be a link.
- Data is sorted by project end date, and updated monthly.
This tab shows grant data from the Boston VA. We are only showing grant title, and only for people in the role of PI.
Catalyzing ORCID iD Adoption and Integration at Boston University and Beyond10/01/2013 - 09/30/2014 (PI)
ORCID
Optimizing Pain Control and Safety in Patients Prescribed Opiod after Day Surgery07/01/2014 - 09/30/2015 (PI)
CareFusion Foundation
Factors Influencing Use of Cancer Genetics by Physicians08/05/2002 - 07/31/2005 (PI)
University of Vermont NIH-NCI1R01CA8952102A2
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Publications listed below are automatically derived from MEDLINE/PubMed and other
sources, which might result in incorrect or missing publications. Faculty can
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to make corrections and additions.
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Magane KM, Saitz R, Fielman S, LaRochelle MR, Shanahan CW, Pace CA, LaValley M, Penington K, Karzhevsky S, Hurstak E. Supporting primary care clinicians in caring for patients with alcohol use disorder: study protocol for Records for Alcohol Care Enhancement (RACE), a factorial four-arm randomized trial. Addict Sci Clin Pract. 2025 Feb 05; 20(1):9.View Related Profiles. PMID: 39910606; PMCID: PMC11800519; DOI: 10.1186/s13722-024-00526-x;
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Casanova NL, LeClair AM, Xiao V, Mullikin KR, Lemon SC, Freund KM, Haas JS, Freedman RA, Battaglia TA. Development of a workflow process mapping protocol to inform the implementation of regional patient navigation programs in breast oncology. Cancer. 2022 Jul 01; 128 Suppl 13:2649-2658.View Related Profiles. PMID: 35699611; PMCID: PMC9201987; DOI: 10.1002/cncr.33944;
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Colasanti JA, Del Rio C, Cheng DM, Liebschutz JM, Lira MC, Tsui JI, Walley AY, Forman LS, Root C, Shanahan CW, Bridden CL, Harris C, Outlaw K, Armstrong WS, Samet JH. A collaborative care intervention to improve opioid prescribing among providers caring for persons with HIV: Impact on satisfaction, confidence, and trust. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2022 02 01; 231:109250.View Related Profiles. PMID: 34998255; PMCID: PMC10763596; DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2021.109250;
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Alford DP, Kim TW, Samet JH, Cruz AB, Brolin MF, Shanahan CW, Saitz R. Prevalence and Correlates of Positive Follow-up Screens in Primary Care for Unhealthy Alcohol and Other Drug Use After a Negative Screen. J Addict Med. 2022 Jul-Aug 01; 16(4):e219-e224.View Related Profiles. PMID: 34799491; DOI: 10.1097/ADM.0000000000000917;
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Samet JH, Tsui JI, Cheng DM, Liebschutz JM, Lira MC, Walley AY, Colasanti JA, Forman LS, Root C, Shanahan CW, Sullivan MM, Bridden CL, Abrams C, Harris C, Outlaw K, Armstrong WS, Del Rio C. Improving the Delivery of Chronic Opioid Therapy Among People Living With Human Immunodeficiency Virus: A Cluster Randomized Clinical Trial. Clin Infect Dis. 2021 10 05; 73(7):e2052-e2058.View Related Profiles. PMID: 32697847; PMCID: PMC8492355; DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciaa1025;
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Shanahan CW, Reding O, Holmdahl I, Keosaian J, Xuan Z, McAneny D, Larochelle M, Liebschutz J. Opioid analgesic use after ambulatory surgery: a descriptive prospective cohort study of factors associated with quantities prescribed and consumed. BMJ Open. 2021 08 12; 11(8):e047928.View Related Profiles. PMID: 34385249; PMCID: PMC8362709; DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-047928;
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Bart GB, Saxon A, Fiellin DA, McNeely J, Muench JP, Shanahan CW, Huntley K, Gore-Langton RE. Developing a clinical decision support for opioid use disorders: a NIDA center for the clinical trials network working group report. Addict Sci Clin Pract. 2020 01 16; 15(1):4. PMID: 31948487; PMCID: PMC6966783; DOI: 10.1186/s13722-020-0180-2;
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Lira MC, Tsui JI, Liebschutz JM, Colasanti J, Root C, Cheng DM, Walley AY, Sullivan M, Shanahan C, O'Connor K, Abrams C, Forman LS, Chaisson C, Bridden C, Podolsky MC, Outlaw K, Harris CE, Armstrong WS, Del Rio C, Samet JH. Study protocol for the targeting effective analgesia in clinics for HIV (TEACH) study - a cluster randomized controlled trial and parallel cohort to increase guideline concordant care for long-term opioid therapy among people living with HIV. HIV Res Clin Pract. 2019 04; 20(2):48-63.View Related Profiles. PMID: 31303143; PMCID: PMC6693587; DOI: 10.1080/15284336.2019.1627509;
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Tsui JI, Walley AY, Cheng DM, Lira MC, Liebschutz JM, Forman LS, Sullivan MM, Colasanti J, Root C, O'Connor K, Shanahan CW, Bridden CL, Del Rio C, Samet JH. Provider opioid prescribing practices and the belief that opioids keep people living with HIV engaged in care: a cross-sectional study. AIDS Care. 2019 09; 31(9):1140-1144.View Related Profiles. PMID: 30632790; PMCID: PMC6625838; DOI: 10.1080/09540121.2019.1566591;
Showing 10 of 34 results.
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Liebschutz JM, Lange AV, Heymann OD, Lasser KE, Corey P, Shanahan CW, Kopinski HS, Husain JM, Cushman PA, Parker VA. Communication between nurse care managers and patients who take opioids for chronic pain: Strategies for exploring aberrant behavior. J Opioid Manag. 2018 May/Jun; 14(3):191-202.View Related Profiles. PMID: 30044484
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Liebschutz JM, Xuan Z, Shanahan CW, LaRochelle M, Keosaian J, Beers D, Guara G, O'Connor K, Alford DP, Parker V, Weiss RD, Samet JH, Crosson J, Cushman PA, Lasser KE. Improving Adherence to Long-term Opioid Therapy Guidelines to Reduce Opioid Misuse in Primary Care: A Cluster-Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Intern Med. 2017 Sep 01; 177(9):1265-1272.View Related Profiles. PMID: 28715535; PMCID: PMC5710574; DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2017.2468;
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Cushman PA, Liebschutz JM, Hodgkin JG, Shanahan CW, White JL, Hardesty I, Alford DP. What do providers want to know about opioid prescribing? A qualitative analysis of their questions. Subst Abus. 2017 Apr-Jun; 38(2):222-229.View Related Profiles. PMID: 28394736; DOI: 10.1080/08897077.2017.1296525;
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Bickmore T, Asadi R, Ehyaei A, Fell H, Henault L, Intille S, Quintiliani L, Shamekhi A, Trinh H, Waite K, Shanahan CW, Paasche-Orlow MK. Intelligent Virtual Agents. Context-Awareness in a Persistent Hospital Companion Agent. Springer International Publishing. Switzerland. 2015; 9238:332-342. View Publication
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Lasser KE, Shanahan C, Parker V, Beers D, Xuan Z, Heymann O, Lange A, Liebschutz JM. A Multicomponent Intervention to Improve Primary Care Provider Adherence to Chronic Opioid Therapy Guidelines and Reduce Opioid Misuse: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial Protocol. J Subst Abuse Treat. 2016 Jan; 60:101-9.View Related Profiles. PMID: 26256769; PMCID: PMC4679615; DOI: 10.1016/j.jsat.2015.06.018;
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Mull HJ, Rosen AK, Shimada SL, Rivard PE, Nordberg B, Long B, Hoffman JM, Leecaster M, Savitz LA, Shanahan CW, Helwig A, Nebeker JR. Assessing the potential adoption and usefulness of concurrent, action-oriented, electronic adverse drug event triggers designed for the outpatient setting. EGEMS (Wash DC). 2015; 3(1):1116.View Related Profiles. PMID: 25992386; PMCID: PMC4434976; DOI: 10.13063/2327-9214.1116;
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Khalid L, Liebschutz JM, Xuan Z, Dossabhoy S, Kim Y, Crooks D, Shanahan C, Lange A, Heymann O, Lasser KE. Adherence to prescription opioid monitoring guidelines among residents and attending physicians in the primary care setting. Pain Med. 2015 Mar; 16(3):480-7.View Related Profiles. PMID: 25529863; PMCID: PMC4368484; DOI: 10.1111/pme.12602;
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Shanahan CW, Sorensen-Alawad A, Carney BL, Persand I, Cruz A, Botticelli M, Pressman K, Adams WG, Brolin M, Alford DP. The implementation of an integrated information system for substance use screening in general medical settings. Appl Clin Inform. 2014; 5(4):878-94.View Related Profiles. PMID: 25589904; PMCID: PMC4287668; DOI: 10.4338/ACI-2014-03-RA-0025;
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Adams WG, Phillips BD, Bacic JD, Walsh KE, Shanahan CW, Paasche-Orlow MK. Automated conversation system before pediatric primary care visits: a randomized trial. Pediatrics. 2014 Sep; 134(3):e691-9.View Related Profiles. PMID: 25092938; DOI: 10.1542/peds.2013-3759;
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Kim TW, Saitz R, Kretsch N, Cruz A, Winter MR, Shanahan CW, Alford DP. Screening for unhealthy alcohol and other drug use by health educators: do primary care clinicians document screening results? J Addict Med. 2013 May-Jun; 7(3):204-9.View Related Profiles. PMID: 23609212; DOI: 10.1097/ADM.0b013e31828da017;
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Aziz M, Bickmore TW, Vardoulakis LP, Shanahan CW, Paasche-Orlow MK. Hospital Buddy: A Persistent Emotional Support Companion Agent for Hospital Patients. Intelligent Virtual Agents Lecture Notes in Computer Science. Springer Berlin. Heidelberg. 2012; 7502:492-495. View Publication
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McCloskey L, Condon R, Shanahan CW, Wolff J, Culler C, Kalish R. Public health, medicine, and dentistry as partners in community health: a pioneering initiative in interprofessional, practice-based education. J Public Health Manag Pract. 2011 Jul-Aug; 17(4):298-307.View Related Profiles. PMID: 21617403; DOI: 10.1097/PHH.0b013e3182165013;
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Rosen AK, Mull HJ, Kaafarani H, Nebeker J, Shimada S, Helwig A, Nordberg B, Long B, Savitz LA, Shanahan CW, Itani K. Applying trigger tools to detect adverse events associated with outpatient surgery. J Patient Saf. 2011 Mar; 7(1):45-59.View Related Profiles. PMID: 21921867; DOI: 10.1097/PTS.0b013e31820d164b;
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Lincoln A, Johnson P, Espejo D, Plachta-Elliott S, Lester P, Shanahan C, Abbott S, Cabral H, Jamanka A, Delman J, Kenny P. The BMC ACCESS project: the development of a medically enhanced safe haven shelter. J Behav Health Serv Res. 2009 Oct; 36(4):478-91.View Related Profiles. PMID: 18830697; DOI: 10.1007/s11414-008-9150-2;
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Shanahan CW, Lincoln A, Horton NJ, Saitz R, Winter M, Samet JH. Relationship of depressive symptoms and mental health functioning to repeat detoxification. J Subst Abuse Treat. 2005 Sep; 29(2):117-23.View Related Profiles. PMID: 16135340
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Dworetzky BA, Strahonja-Packard A, Shanahan CW, Paz J, Schauble B, Bromfield EB. Characteristics of male veterans with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures. Epilepsia. 2005 Sep; 46(9):1418-22. PMID: 16146437
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Dworetzky BA, Hoch DB, Wagner AK, Salmanson E, Shanahan CW, Bromfield EB. The impact of a single seizure on health status and health care utilization. Epilepsia. 2000 Feb; 41(2):170-6. PMID: 10691113
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Acker J, de Graaff M, Cheynel I, Khazak V, Kedinger C, Vigneron M. Interactions between the human RNA polymerase II subunits. J Biol Chem. 1997 Jul 04; 272(27):16815-21. PMID: 9201987; DOI: 10.1074/jbc.272.27.16815;
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Shanahan C, Makadon H. Addressing HIV Prevention in Clinical Practice. In: Libman, Witzburg, eds. HIV Infection: A Clinical Manual. Little Brown, Inc. Boston. 1995.
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Carr R, Wald A, Shanahan C, Hein D. HIV Education and Prevention. In: Libman, Witzburg, eds. HIV Infection: A Clinical Manual. Little Brown, Inc. Boston. 1993.
This graph shows the total number of publications by year, by first, middle/unknown,
or last author.
| Year | Publications |
|---|
| 1993 | 1 |
| 1995 | 1 |
| 1997 | 1 |
| 2000 | 1 |
| 2005 | 2 |
| 2008 | 1 |
| 2010 | 1 |
| 2011 | 2 |
| 2012 | 1 |
| 2013 | 2 |
| 2014 | 3 |
| 2015 | 5 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 4 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2025 | 1 |
Cycle: An Addiction Story
2020 American College of Physicians (ACP):
Awardee, Award for Distinguished Contributions to Behavioral Medicine
2017 Society of General Internal Medicine:
Quality & Practice Innovation Award (Clinical Addiction, Research and Education (CARE) Unit
2016 Association for Medical Education and Research in Substance Abuse (AMERSA) Conference:
Best Workshop, Teaching Safe and Competent Opioid Prescribing: A Toolkit for All Levels of Expertise
2009-2009 Association for Medical Education and Research in Substance Abuse:
Best Abstract Award Semi-finalist: T.Kim, N.Kretsch, R.Saitz, M.Winter, JH.Samet, CW.Shanahan, A.A
2003 Mattapan Community Health Center:
Edmond Steele Commitment to Excellence Award
2000 Boston University School of Medicine:
Faculty Scholar – Centers of Excellence in Geriatric and Community Medicine
1998-2000 American College of Physician Executives:
Management Scholar
I can provide mentoring and support on post-residency training job selection for individual's considering General Internal Medicine and/or Primary Care positions in Community Health Centers in Under-served Communities. In particular I can help facilitate connections with the 14 Boston HealthNet Health Centers Affiliates with Boston Medical Center and Boston University School of Medicine.
Available to Mentor as: (Review Mentor Role Definitions):
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Advisor
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Career Mentor
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Co-Mentor or Peer Mentor
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Project Mentor
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Work / Life Integration Mentor