He is a career researcher and educator in the field of alcohol and substance use screening, interventions, and treatments. The large body of his work has been directed to providing the research base and training scholars and clinicians alike. Dr. Blow currently has two NIAAA grants and has had continuous funding from the NIAAA since 1988, and extensive funding from NIDA, VA, and NIMH during the same period. He has led many federally-funded studies including international and US training grants focused on substance misuse and abuse.

Dr. Blow has a long history of funding related to research and program evaluation, and implementation of evidence-based treatments for substance use and mental health disorders. His areas of research expertise include alcohol brief interventions in healthcare settings, substance abuse prevention, substance abuse screening and diagnosis for older adults, serious mental illness and concurrent substance abuse, suicide prevention, mental health services research, and implementation of evidence-based substance abuse and mental health practices.