Skip to Main Content
Biological & Biomedical Sciences
Yale Home

INFORMATION FOR

    Julio Nunes, MD

    Psychiatry Resident
    DownloadHi-Res Photo

    Contact Info

    julio.nunes@yale.edu

    Psychiatry

    300 George St #901

    New Haven, CT 06511

    United States

    Honors

    • 6 National Awards
    • Style Three Pin Educated Hat Streamline Icon: https://streamlinehq.com1 Yale School of Medicine Award
    • 1 Other Award
    Learn moreabout Honors

    About

    A common misconception is that buprenorphine and methadone just replace one addiction with another. The problem is the old goal of abstinence from all substances. If instead the goal is well-being, reconnecting with family, working, parenting, avoiding arrest, then what matters are outcomes. And the outcomes are clear: these medications should be offered to every patient who needs them.

    Julio Nunes, from interview with Health Journalist Emma Yasinski ("The Road Back")

    Titles

    Psychiatry Resident

    Biography

    Julio C. Nunes, MD is a research-track Psychiatry Resident at Yale University and Chief Resident of Outpatient and Addiction Services at the West Haven VA. His work focuses on addiction, chronic pain, and health disparities, with an emphasis on translating research into patient-centered policy, advocacy, and practice. He is a Laughlin Fellow of the American College of Psychiatrists and a Leadership Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association.

    As a member of Yale’s Pain and Addiction Interaction Neurosciences (PAIN) Laboratory and a former research fellow at the Stanford Center for Clinical Research, Dr. Nunes has authored more than 40 peer-reviewed publications, chapters, and commentaries. His scholarship has been recognized by the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry, the College on Problems of Drug Dependence, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and the American Society of Hispanic Psychiatry.

    Nunes also serves on the board of Doctors for Drug Policy Reform and recently partnered with U.S. Senator Edward Markey’s office on the dissemination of the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act, legislation aimed at expanding access to methadone through community pharmacies.

    Education is another core commitment. Dr. Nunes is a recurrent lecturer at the Yale School of Medicine, has led national workshops on addiction and chronic pain, and received Yale Psychiatry’s Resident Teaching Award as a PGY-1.

    Originally from Brazil and Mexico, he brings a global perspective to questions of access and equity in mental health and addiction treatment. Across his clinical work, research, teaching, and advocacy, his goal is to make addiction care more equitable, compassionate, and accessible.

    Last Updated on August 20, 2025.

    Departments & Organizations

    • Pain and Addiction Interaction Neurosciences (PAIN) Lab

    Education & Training

    Postdoctoral Research Fellow
    Stanford University, Center for Clinical Research (2022)
    ECFMG Certification
    Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (2021)
    MD
    Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro, School of Medicine and Surgery (2020)

    Academic Achievements & Community Involvement

    Featured

    • honor

      Laughlin Fellowship

      08/20/2025National AwardAmerican College of Psychiatrists (ACP)
    • honor

      Leadership Fellowship

      05/07/2024National AwardAmerican Psychiatric Association Foundation (APAF)
    • honor

      Don Quixote Award - Critical Research Issues in Latinx Mental Health

      03/13/2025National AwardAmerican Society of Hispanic Psychiatry (ASHP)
    • honor

      Resident Teaching Award

      06/15/2023Yale School of Medicine AwardYale School of Medicine - Department of Psychiatry
    View full list of achievements

    Activities

    • activity

      American Psychiatric Association

      05/01/2024 - PresentProfessional OrganizationsFellow
    • activity

      College on Problems of Drug Dependence

      06/01/2024 - PresentProfessional OrganizationsMember
    • activity

      American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry

      10/01/2023 - PresentProfessional OrganizationsMember
    • activity

      Doctors for Drug Policy Reform

      06/15/2025 - PresentAdvisory BoardsBoard of Directors

    Honors

    • honor

      Travel Award for Early Career Investigators

      06/01/2025National AwardCollege on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD)
    • honor

      John Renner Travel Award

      08/17/2023National AwardAmerican Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP)
    • honor

      Diversity Scholars Travel Award

      07/19/2023National AwardNational Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
    • honor

      Postdoctoral Champion of Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

      10/01/2021Other AwardStanford University - Office of Postdoctoral Affairs

    Research

    Overview

    Medical Research Interests

    Analgesics, Opioid; Chronic Pain; Opioid Epidemic

    Public Health Interests

    Substance Use, Addiction

    • ORCID

      0000-0001-9622-3361
    • Lab Whisk Cup Streamline Icon: https://streamlinehq.com

      Pain and Addiction Interaction Neurosciences (PAIN) Lab

      The mission of the PAIN Lab is to pioneer new approaches for understanding and treating chronic pain and substance use disorders.

      View Lab Website

    Research at a Glance

    Yale Co-Authors

    Frequent collaborators of Julio Nunes's published research.

    Publications

    Featured Publications

    See All Publications

    Teaching & Mentoring

    Teaching

    • Didactic

      Assessment of Pain in Persons with Opioid Use Disorder

      LecturerLecture Setting

    Get In Touch

    Contacts

    Email
    Mailing Address

    Psychiatry

    300 George St #901

    New Haven, CT 06511

    United States