Sierra is a person in long-term recovery whose research focuses on peer-driven substance use services and leverages quantitative, qualitative, community-involved, and economic evaluation methods. After earning her PhD in public health at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Sierra completed a postdoctoral research fellowship with the recovery research pioneers at Chestnut Health Systems’ Lighthouse Institute, and served as a program officer at the National Institute on Drug Abuse before joining The Phoenix research team. Sierra led the development of two free cost-effectiveness calculators for collegiate recovery programs and peer recovery support services, and has publications in addiction and public health journals. Prior to her shift into research, Sierra served as a peer recovery support specialist and the director of the collegiate recovery program at the University of Texas at Austin.