Christopher W. Shanahan, MD, MPH FACP

Clinical Associate Professor, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine

Biography

Christopher W. Shanahan, MD, MPH, FACP, is a board-certified primary care physician specializing in Internal Medicine and Addiction Medicine, with over 14 years of experience in clinical and research Information Technology (IT). Dr. Shanahan brings a distinctive combination of expertise in: 1. Clinical and Research Medical Informatics & Information Technology, 2. Substance Use Disorders and Chronic Pain, and 3.Community Medicine.
Dr. Shanahan excels in evaluating IT needs for research projects—whether IT-focused or IT-enabled—and collaborates on project design, development, and technical assessments for clinical studies leveraging IT resources. Through his extensive local and national professional network, he facilitates the development of practical and implementable research plans and programs.
In addition to his informatics expertise, Dr. Shanahan has a strong focus on substance use disorders. He has led and collaborated on designing IT-enhanced initiatives and research studies addressing substance use and addiction treatment.
As the Director of the Community Medicine Unit within General Internal Medicine (GIM), Dr. Shanahan supports Internal Medicine Physicians and other Advanced Practice Clinicians working in the 13 Boston Medical Center-affiliated Community Health Centers, collectively known as the Boston HealthNet. He actively engages with community-based organizations and has over 24 years of hands-on experience in community-based clinical care.
Since 2018, Dr. Shanahan has served as the Medical Director of the Massachusetts Consultation Service for the Treatment of Addiction and Pain (MCSTAP), demonstrating his commitment to improving addiction and pain treatment through innovative approaches and collaboration.

Publications

  • Published 9/29/2025

    LeClair AM, Chen CA, Mizzoni ML, Adams WG, Harvey WF, Shanahan CW, Haas JS, Lemon SC, Battaglia T, Freund KM. Developing a real-time registry to track breast cancer patients across the city of Boston. JAMIA Open. 2025 Oct; 8(5):ooaf099. PMID: 41030920.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 2/5/2025

    Magane KM, Saitz R, Fielman S, LaRochelle MR, Shanahan CW, Pace CA, LaValley M, Penington K, Karzhevsky S, Hurstak E. Supporting primary care clinicians in caring for patients with alcohol use disorder: study protocol for Records for Alcohol Care Enhancement (RACE), a factorial four-arm randomized trial. Addict Sci Clin Pract. 2025 Feb 05; 20(1):9. PMID: 39910606.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 7/1/2022

    Casanova NL, LeClair AM, Xiao V, Mullikin KR, Lemon SC, Freund KM, Haas JS, Freedman RA, Battaglia TA. Development of a workflow process mapping protocol to inform the implementation of regional patient navigation programs in breast oncology. Cancer. 2022 Jul 01; 128 Suppl 13:2649-2658. PMID: 35699611.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 12/29/2021

    Colasanti JA, Del Rio C, Cheng DM, Liebschutz JM, Lira MC, Tsui JI, Walley AY, Forman LS, Root C, Shanahan CW, Bridden CL, Harris C, Outlaw K, Armstrong WS, Samet JH. A collaborative care intervention to improve opioid prescribing among providers caring for persons with HIV: Impact on satisfaction, confidence, and trust. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2022 02 01; 231:109250. PMID: 34998255.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 11/18/2021

    Alford DP, Kim TW, Samet JH, Cruz AB, Brolin MF, Shanahan CW, Saitz R. Prevalence and Correlates of Positive Follow-up Screens in Primary Care for Unhealthy Alcohol and Other Drug Use After a Negative Screen. J Addict Med. 2022 Jul-Aug 01; 16(4):e219-e224. PMID: 34799491.

    Read at: PubMed

View All 35 Publications:   View Full Profile in BUMC

Other Positions

  • Member, Evans Center for Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research
    Boston University
  • Faculty, Medicine
    Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine

Websites

Education

  • University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, MD
  • Harvard School of Public Health, MPH
  • Rutgers University–Camden, BA

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