Dr. Elizabeth Zona
Dr. Elizabeth Zona is a double board-certified anesthesiologist and addiction medicine physician, educator, speaker, writer, social media content creator, nonprofit founder, and a mom.
Dr. Zona was a practicing anesthesiologist for six years when she lost a close childhood friend to an opioid overdose in 2016. This devastating loss compelled her to begin speaking to high school students about addiction and the dangers of substance use, determined to help young people make informed choices. Through these conversations, she quickly recognized a significant knowledge gap—where students lacked accurate, practical information about substance risks, harm reduction, and help-seeking. Encouraged by a mentee, she took her mission to social media as @addictiontokdok, where she shares high-yield, attention-grabbing educational content. Seeing the need for better substance use education, she expanded her expertise in addiction medicine, ultimately becoming board-certified in the specialty and shifting her career toward substance use education, treatment, and prevention.
To further this mission, Dr. Zona founded Dr.EMZ Dreams, Inc., a nonprofit focused on helping high school students comprehend the dangers of substance use through engaging, science-backed education. In memory of her late friend, she established a scholarship program that has awarded thousands of dollars to high school seniors who demonstrate healthy habits, avoid drugs and alcohol, and encourage their peers to do the same. Her work has led her to collaborate with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Song for Charlie, numerous schools and universities, and even Major League Baseball.
Dr. Zona’s educational efforts extend beyond high schools—she is also passionate about teaching future and current healthcare professionals. She is a Clinical Assistant Professor at Duquesne University College of Osteopathic Medicine, where she teaches medical students about addiction medicine and anesthesiology. Additionally, she provides continuing medical education (CME) for fellow physicians, helping them better understand the neurobiology of addiction, harm reduction strategies, and evidence-based treatment approaches. Through community outreach programs, she delivers substance use education to parents, schools, and local organizations, equipping communities with the knowledge and resources to prevent addiction and support recovery.
Beyond her nonprofit work, Dr. Zona serves as a clinical advisor for DopaGE, a health education company focused on reducing substance-related harm among college students through gamified overdose prevention training. She is also a strong advocate for keeping kids safe online and in real life, promoting the Bark Phone as a tool to help parents monitor and protect their children from dangerous online interactions, including illicit drug sales targeting adolescents.
In addition to her work in addiction education, Dr. Zona is a keynote speaker, most recently addressing Penn State Beaver graduates on mentorship, resilience, and decision-making. Her next keynote will address child advocacy leadership at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, where she will bring attention to the rising threat of illicit fentanyl poisoning of US adolescents through dangerous counterfeit prescription medications.
In her free time, she enjoys writing, creating social media content to break stigma and empower people in recovery, boating and watersports, relaxing in nature, hiking with her family, and exploring new ways to simplify complex science for young audiences. She also finds joy in mentoring future medical professionals.
Find Dr. Zona on social media: @addictiontokdok (TikTok & Instagram).
Click here to read all of Dr. Zona's articles on Opioid-Use-Disorder.com.