Our Faculty and Staff

Dr. Ioana Popovici received her doctorate in Economics from Florida International University in 2007. Following graduation, she worked for three years as a senior researcher with the Health Economics Research Group in the Department of Sociology at the University of Miami. Dr. Popovici’s research is concerned primarily with the economics of substance abuse (including alcohol, illicit drugs, tobacco, and non-medical use of prescription drugs) treatment and substance use consequences, interests she has pursued along two distinct but interconnected lines. A first line of her research is focused on the economic evaluation of substance abuse treatment interventions. A second but related line attempts to further the understanding of the relationship between addictive substance use and its economic consequences. Her publications include articles in various economics and multidisciplinary peer-reviewed journals including Health Economics, Social Science & Medicine, Journal of Developing Drugs, Drug and Alcohol Dependence, Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, Sociological Inquiry, Evaluation Review, American Journal of Health Promotion, Eastern Economic Journal, Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research, Industrial Relations, and Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, as well as a review article published in the Oxford Handbook of Substance Use Disorders and Addictions: A comprehensive guidebook. Dr. Popovici has worked with several academic collaborators of many disciplines and state officials and has served as Investigator on several grants and contracts funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the World Health Organization, and the Florida State Department of Children and Families.