Biography

Karina Villalba, PhD., MPH., MBA., is a tenure-track Assistant Professor in the Department of Population Health Sciences at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine, with a joint appointment in UCF’s Violence Against Women Faculty Cluster Initiative. Her research program focuses cannabis and cannabinoid science, trauma and violence, substance use, and behavioral health across clinical and population-health settings. She has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications on substance use, trauma and violence, behavioral health and cannabinoid science. 

Dr. Villalba is the director of the Cannabinoid Science Lab. Her research examines CBD and minor cannabinoids as candidate therapeutics in randomized clinical trials for AUD, CUD, PTSD, and co-occurring conditions, with emphasis on alcohol and cannabis use outcomes, craving, stress-cue reactivity, anxiety-related symptoms, cognitive function, safety, and treatment engagement. Her work also extends to oncology populations, where cannabinoid trials assess cancer- and treatment-related symptom burden, tolerability, adverse effects, and adherence, in a field where efficacy signals remain mixed and higher-quality trials are still needed.

Dr. Villalba holds two FDA Investigational New Drug applications (IND 180150/IND180642) and is Principal Investigator of the WAVE Study, a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of water-soluble CBD for the reduction of risky alcohol use in adults who do not meet criteria for alcohol use disorders.

In addition, Dr. Villalba conducts epidemiologic and behavioral studies of simultaneous alcohol and marijuana use and emerging cannabis products, including CBD- and THC-infused beverages, with a focus on the beliefs, motives, social influences, use patterns, safety concerns, and behavioral consequences that shape real-world use, particularly among young adults. Her work aims to generate evidence that informs clinical care, substance-use interventions, consumer education, and public-health policy.

Recent Publications: 

Villalba, K., Latorre-Garcia, W., & Attonito, J. (2025). The Relationship Between Intimate Partner Violence, Depression, Alcohol Abuse in Black and Hispanic Women. Journal of interpersonal violence, 40(3-4), 681–695.

Attonito J., Mueller J., Villalba K. (2025) Predictors of Replacing Alcohol with Cannabis Among Adult Women. Cannabis (in press).

Siuluta N, Villalba K., Candidate SC., Lopez-Quintero C., Scaglione N., Cook RL. (2025) Sociodemographic Characteristics Associated with Lifetime and Recent Traumatic Experiences Among People Living with HIV in Florida. AIDS and Behavior (in press).

Corry JL., Monzon A., Patton SR., Gurnurkar S., Gordon L., Villalba K., Hughes Lansing A., Wasserman RM. (2025) Health Care Provider Practices and Perceptions on Screening for and Discussing Adolescent Alcohol Use in Pediatric Diabetes Clinics Clinical Practice in Pediatric Psychology (accepted).

Mueller J., Sapp J., Attonito J., Villalba K. (2025). Cannabis Substitution for Anxiety and Depression Medications in Adult Women. Journal of Cannabis Research (accepted).

Deaterly, C., Richards, V., Weaver, M., Villalba, K., Varma, D., Payton, I., & Cook, R. (2024). Associations of Intimate Partner Violence and Drug Use on Viral Suppression Among Women Living With HIV in South Florida: A Secondary Analysis. The Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care : JANAC, 35(3), 245–251.

Villalba, K., Domenico, L. H., Cook, R. L., O’Connor, J., Michael-Samaroo, K., Espejo,

M. J. D. P., Martin, P., & Dévieux, J. G. (2023). Emotion regulation and cognitive function as mediating factors for the association between lifetime abuse and risky behaviors in women of color. PloS one, 18(10), e0279325.

Sannegowda, R., Villalba, K., Suk, R., Gurnurkar, S., & Wasserman, R. M. (2023). Recent Rates of Substance Use Among Adolescents and Young Adults with Type 1 Diabetes in the USA. Current diabetes reports, 23(1) , 1–17.