Senior Research Scientist
Chestnut Health Systems
Dennis Watson, PhD is Senior Research Scientist at Chestnut Health System’s Lighthouse Institute’s Chicago office and affiliated faculty in the Center for Dissemination and Implementation Science at the University of Illinois School of Medicine in Chicago. His research primarily focuses on the development, implementation, and evaluation of behavioral health interventions. Various federal, state, and local funders, including the National Institute on Drug Abuse, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Arnold Ventures, and the Fairbanks Foundation, have supported his research. A considerable body of his work has focused on harm reduction, recovery support services, and treatment linkage interventions for people who use illicit substances or who have a substance use disorder. His prior research focused on the Housing First model of permanent supportive housing has helped guide housing services implementation in the United States and abroad. His most recent work investigates the effectiveness of peer support and treatment linkage services delivered through both in-person and virtual modalities in emergency medicine and community-based settings. Dr. Watson received his master’s and doctorate degrees in sociology from Loyola University Chicago in 2011. In 2016, he completed a master’s degree in clinical research from Indiana University as part of his postdoctoral training. Before joining Chestnut, Dr. Watson was a tenured faculty member at both Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and the University of Illinois Chicago.
