Ryan is a counseling psychologist and an assistant professor at the University of North Dakota, where they teach and advise students in UND's APA-accredited doctoral and master's programs in counseling psychology. Ryan directs the Trauma, Substance, Justice and Recovery Lab in the College of Education & Human Development at UND. They are a mental health and addiction health services researcher interested in integrated behavioral healthcare; substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery support services; trauma-informed care; criminal justice system reentry; HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment; LGBTQ+ health; and culturally and structurally responsive prevention and healthcare.