Rebecca Arden Harris, MD, MSc
Assistant Professor of Family Medicine and Community Health at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
Attending Physician, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center
Senior Fellow, Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics
Senior Scholar , Penn Injury Science Center
Member, Penn Cardiovascular Institute
Department: Family Medicine and Community Health
Contact information
Penn Family Care
3737 Market Street, 9th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19104
3737 Market Street, 9th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Links
Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics bio
Google Scholar page
LDI Senior Fellow bio
Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics bio
Google Scholar page
LDI Senior Fellow bio
Education:
BSc (Biology)
Haverford College, 2008.
MD (Medicine)
Jefferson Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, 2013.
MSc (Health Policy Research)
University of Pennsylvania, 2021.
Permanent linkBSc (Biology)
Haverford College, 2008.
MD (Medicine)
Jefferson Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, 2013.
MSc (Health Policy Research)
University of Pennsylvania, 2021.
Description of Clinical Expertise
Dr. Harris is a physician who specializes in both primary care and addiction medicine.Description of Research Expertise
Dr. Harris's research aims to reduce drug use harms and improve patient outcomes through two complementary lines of inquiry. She analyzes national drug use, morbidity, and mortality trends in relation to drug policies and public health. Additionally, she studies innovative addiction treatment models to enhance care quality and accessibility, especially for vulnerable populations. By integrating population-level analysis with practical treatment solutions, her work strives to bridge the gap between macro-policy and micro-implementation. Dr. Harris is committed to translating research insights into actionable strategies for care teams, policymakers, and public health officials, with the goal of creating a more effective and compassionate system for preventing and treating drug use disorders.Selected Publications
Harris RA, Long JA, Bao Y, Kranzler HR, Perrone J, and Mandell DS: Methadone-involved overdose deaths in urban and rural communities before and after the public health emergency flexibilities for methadone take-home doses. Drug and Alcohol Dependence Reports 15, June 2025 Notes: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dadr.2025.100339.Harris RA, Khatana SAM, Long JA: Cardiometabolic deaths in black and white men: Tracing the risks from early- to mid-adulthood. Preventive Medicine Reports 51(102997), March 2025 Notes: \doi: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2025.102997.
Harris RA: Sex and drug overdose mortality trends, 1999-2020 JAMA Psychiatry 79(8): 833-834, August 2022 Notes: https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2022.1688.
Harris, RA: Illicit stimulants and rising cardiovascular mortality: Action required. PSAM Review 2025.
Harris RA, Khatana SAM, Glei DA, Long JA: Stimulant-Involved Cardiovascular Disease Mortality and Life Years Lost, 2014 to 2023. Substance Use: Research and Treatment 19, 2025 Notes: doi:10.1177/29768357251342744.
Harris RA, Long JA, Bao Y, Mandell DS: Racial, Ethnic, and Sex Differences in Methadone-Involved Overdose Deaths Before and After the US Federal Policy Change Expanding Take-home Methadone Doses. JAMA Health Forum 4(6), June 2023.
Harris RA: Drug overdose deaths among non-Hispanic Black men in the US: Age-specific projections through 2025. AJPM Focus 2(1), March 2023 Notes: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.focus.2022.100063.
Harris RA, Mandell DS, Kampman KM, Bao Y, Campbell K, Cidav Z, Coviello DM, French R, Livesey C, Lowenstein M, Lynch KG, McKay JR, Oslin DW, Wolk CB, Bogner HR: Collaborative care in the treatment of opioid use disorder and mental health conditions in primary care: A clinical study protocol. Contemporary Clinical Trials 103(106325), April 2021 Notes: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1551714421000616.
Harris RA, Mandell DS : Fatal drug overdose among middle-aged Black men: A life table analysis. Addictive Behaviors 144, April 2023 Notes: doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2023.107743.
Harris RA: Race, overdose deaths, and years of lost life. JAMA Pediatrics 176(7): 729, July 2022 Notes: doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2022.1171.
Harris RA, Mandell DS: Years of Life Lost to Drug Overdose Among Black Female Individuals in the US, 2015-2021. JAMA Psychiatry 80(3), December 2022 Notes: doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2022.4194.
Harris RA, Aronowitz S, French R, Mandell DS.: It’s time for Pa. to stop allowing overdose deaths to be treated like homicides. The Philadelphia Inquirer December 2021.