Assistant Professor of Health Outcomes
Deepika Rao is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Health Outcomes at the College of Pharmacy at the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Rao received her Ph.D. in Health Services Research in Pharmacy (2022) from the University of Wisconsin-Madison along with a graduate minor in prevention and intervention science. She also holds a Master of Science degree in Pharmacy Administration (2018) from Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, and a Bachelor of Pharmacy (2016) from the University of Mumbai, India. Dr. Rao has completed a National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) T32-funded postdoctoral fellowship at the Center for Technology and Behavioral Health (CTBH), Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College.
Dr. Rao's research is focused on the development and implementation of patient-centered interventions in the prevention and treatment of substance use and mental health disorders, especially focused on the role of pharmacists and in pharmacy settings. In her work, Dr. Rao utilizes community engaged research methods, dissemination and implementation sciences, and qualitative and mixed methodologies. Her recent work leverages the rich potential of digital technologies in the prevention and treatment of substance use disorders as well as the treatment and management of co-occurring conditions such as chronic pain, pregnancy, and mood disorders. Her research has been funded by the American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists Foundation (previously CPNP), Sonderegger Research Center at UW-Madison, and a NIDA P30 pilot grant from CTBH.