Morgan Justice, PhD, MA

Biography

I am a health services researcher focused on designing and evaluating real-world solutions that improve care delivery and patient outcomes. My work sits at the intersection of pragmatic clinical trials and implementation science, with a commitment to ensuring that evidence not only works in theory, but also in everyday clinical practice. I specialize in advancing equitable, high-quality care in complex and high-impact areas including lung cancer screening, opioid use disorder, pain management, and mental health.

As a mixed methods researcher, I draw on both quantitative and qualitative approaches to understand not just whether interventions work, but also how, why, and for whom they are most effective. I have experience leading and collaborating on studies spanning randomized pragmatic trials, observational analyses, hybrid effectiveness-implementation designs, and community-engaged research.

My research is grounded in partnership with health systems, clinicians, and patients, with a focus on scalability, sustainability, and policy relevance. Ultimately, my goal is to generate actionable evidence that reduces disparities, strengthens care delivery systems, and improves the health and well-being of diverse populations.

I hold a PhD in health systems and policy from the Oregon Health & Sciences University and a Master of Arts in sociology and a graduate certificate in public health biostatistics from Georgia State University.

RESEARCH INTERESTS AND EXPERIENCE

Lung Cancer Screening
Substance Use
Chronic Illness Management

Chronic pain
Mental Health

Recent Publications

DeBar LL, Justice M, Avins AL, Cook A, Eng CM, Herman PM, Hsu C, Nielsen A, Pressman A, Stone KL, Teets RY, Wellman R Acupuncture for chronic low back pain in older adults: Design and protocol for the BackInAction pragmatic clinical trial 2023 May;128:107166. doi: 10.1016/j.cct.2023.107166. Epub 2023-03-27. PubMed

DeBar LL, Bushey MA, Kroenke K, Bobb JF, Schoenbaum M, Thompson EE, Justice M, Zatzick D, Hamilton LK, McMullen CK, Hallgren KA, Benes LL, Forman DP, Caldeiro RM, Brown RP, Campbell NL, Anderson ML, Son S, Haggstrom DA, Whiteside L, Schleyer TKL, Bradley KA A patient-centered nurse-supported primary care-based collaborative care program to treat opioid use disorder and depression: Design and protocol for the MI-CARE randomized controlled trial 2023 Apr;127:107124. doi: 10.1016/j.cct.2023.107124. Epub 2023-02-18. PubMed

Mayhew M, Balderson BH, Cook AJ, Dickerson JF, Elder CR, Firemark AJ, Haller IV, Justice M, Keefe FJ, McMullen CK, O'Keeffe-Rosetti MC, Owen-Smith AA, Rini C, Schneider JL, Von Korff M, Wandner LD, DeBar LL Comparing the clinical and cost-effectiveness of remote (telehealth and online) cognitive behavioral therapy-based treatments for high-impact chronic pain relative to usual care: study protocol for the RESOLVE multisite randomized control trial 2023 Mar 16;24(1):196. doi: 10.1186/s13063-023-07165-8. Epub 2023-03-16. PubMed

Fuoco MJ, Mularski RA, Wu B, Moretz C, McBurnie MA, Stanford RH, Crawford P, Gratie D, Salas B Continuity of Care Assessment Within a Vertically Integrated Care Management Organization Before and After COPD-Related Exacerbations 2021 Oct 7;16:2755-2767. doi: 10.2147/COPD.S290714. Epub 2021-10-07. PubMed

Fitzpatrick SL, Banegas MP, Kimes TM, Papajorgji-Taylor D, Fuoco MJ. Prevalence of unmet basic needs and association with diabetes control and care utilization among insured persons with diabetes. Popul Health Manag. 2021 Aug;24(4):463-469. doi: 10.1089/pop.2020.0236. Epub 2021 Feb 3. PubMed