Associate Professor
Baylor College of Medicine
Dr. Hiroko Furo, MD, Ph.D., MA, MS, MSES, is Associate Professor in Addiction Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. With an extensive background in patient care, research, and clinical informatics, she is dedicated to advancing the field of addiction medicine through patient care, research, and education.
Dr. Furo earned her Ph.D. in Sociolinguistics from Georgetown University, Washington, DC, She conducted research at the University of Chicago. She obtained her MD at the University of Illinois, College of Medicine. She then completed her General Surgery internship at Grady Hospital in Atlanta, GA, followed by a residency in Occupational Medicine at the University of Texas Health Northeast, where she also earned an MS in Environmental Science. Then she went to fellowship training in Medical Toxicology at SUNY Upstate Medical University, where
she worked at a bridge clinic, providing temporary care for patients transitioning from emergency treatment to long-term addiction recovery programs. This experience deepened her interest in addiction medicine, leading her to work in opioid treatment programs, outpatient addiction clinics, and detox/residential settings in Syracuse, NY. Her research in addiction medicine resulted in multiple published journal articles, further solidifying her commitment to the field.
To strengthen her expertise in medical research, Dr. Furo pursued an MS in Clinical Informatics at SUNY University at Buffalo, focusing on research informatics to enhance addiction medicine research. She has since actively contributed to the field, working in detox and inpatient addiction facilities, OTP settings, and residential treatment programs. She remains an affiliated faculty member in Addiction Medicine at SUNY Buffalo and is actively engaged in the addiction medicine fellowship program.
Dr. Furo is board-certified in Addiction Medicine, Occupational Medicine, and Lifestyle Medicine and board-eligible in Clinical Informatics. Her research interests in addiction medicine include Urine Drug Screening Tests, Social Determinants of Health in Addiction, and Research Informatics. She has authored multiple research articles published in peer-reviewed journals and has presented her studies at national and international conferences.
Beyond her clinical and research work, Dr. Furo is actively involved in the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM). She regularly attends ASAM annual conferences, has presented her research at ASAM meetings, and contributes as a subcommittee member for the ASAM BEST Question Bank, supporting addiction medicine education and training.
In her current role as Associate Professor in Addiction Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, Dr. Furo continues to provide comprehensive care for patients struggling with addiction, and is dedicated to training the next generation of addiction medicine specialists.
