Clinical Professor
University of California San Diego
Carla Marienfeld, MD, DFAPA, DFASAM is board-certified in psychiatry, addiction psychiatry, and addiction medicine. She is a Clinical Professor at the University of California San Diego and the Co-Director of the Pacific Treatment And Research Center (PacTARC) who supports recovery in an evidence based, harm-reduction approach through motivational interviewing and medication treatment. Her research involves populations with substance use disorders (SUDs), including pregnant women and the development of their offspring, persons with methamphetamine use disorder, and large clinical databases. This work is done through clinical trials or using analysis of large-scale medical record and research data. She has authored over four dozen peer reviewed articles, book chapters, practice guidelines, and invited commentaries, and she edited three books: Motivational Interviewing for Clinical Practice, Absolute Addiction Psychiatry Review: An essential board exam study guide, and Addiction Psychopharmacology, 3rd Ed. She has a record of grant funding for research and for founding the UCSD Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship Program, where she serves as Program Director. She was named a San Diego Top Doctor in 2021 as Clinical Lead for the UC San Diego Substance Treatment and Recovery (STAR) program. She has been highly involved in the education of colleagues and trainees about addiction treatment and motivational interviewing. Dr. Marienfeld completed a fellowship in addiction psychiatry and residency training in psychiatry at Yale University. During her residency, she received multiple awards, served as chief resident of psychiatry and founded the Yale Global Mental Health Program. She earned a medical degree with honors from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. She is active in many professional organizations, including the American Society of Addiction Medicine, the American Association of Addiction Psychiatry, and the American Psychiatric Association.
