Before she arrived at the Brown School, Associate Professor Renee M. Cunningham-Williams, PhD, MPE, LCSW received her Master of Psychiatric Epidemiology degree from the University's School of Medicine while completing a two-year NIDA post-doctoral fellowship in Psychiatric Epidemiology and Biostatistics. Her research centers on the comorbidity of mental health disorders, particularly those relating to behavioral addictions, risk taking, and antisocial behaviors. She has developed several diagnostic assessments for pathological gambling. Other areas of interest include HIV prevention, substance abuse/dependence and the methodology of street outreach to culturally diverse and hidden populations.

Dr. Cunningham-Williams' practice, training, and experiences have included working with diverse populations such as juvenile and adult offenders, pregnant and parenting adolescents, families who are homeless, and adult survivors of domestic violence and childhood abuse. In addition, she is a faculty associate of the School’s Center for Mental Health Services Research and Comorbidity and Addictions Center.