Yale University
Dept. of Psychiatry
300 George Street
New Haven, CT
06511 USA

Tel: 203-785-2117

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Substance Abuse Research

Center Listings

Division of Substance Abuse

Stephanie S. O'Malley, Ph.D. Professor of Psychiatry Director, Division of Substance Abuse Treatment Unit SATU 203-789-6988

The aims of the Division of Substance Abuse Research program are both the development of innovative treatments for drug abusers and the understanding of the causes and process of drug addiction. These aims have guided the development of a research program that involves investigations at three general levels:

Neurobiology and Behavioral Pharmacology
Treatment Efficacy, Patient Treatment Matching, and Process studies
Diagnostic and Epidemiology studies

Because addictive disorders cut across traditional institutional and disciplinary boundaries, a Division of Substance Abuse Research is critical for the initiation, planning, and coordination of research and teaching across these diverse institutions and departments. Within the Department of Psychiatry, substance abuse research is underway at the VA Connecticut Healthcare System, the Connecticut Mental Health Center, and the Yale Psychiatric Institute. In addition, Division of Substance Abuse investigators conduct clinical research at a variety of clinical .grams throughout the State of Connecticut and collaborate in research endeavors with investigators at other national and international institutions.

Substance use, abuse and dependence, including nicotine, alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, and opiates, are also of relevance to other areas of medicine. Substance use disorders are highly prevalent, have profound medical consequences (e.g., hypertension, cardiovascular disease, pulmonary problems, infectious diseases, gynecological and obstetrical consequences, digestive diseases) for which patients seek treatment, and abuse of these drugs has a significant effect on the course of most medical conditions and their treatment. As a result, the Division of Substance Abuse Research interfaces with investigators in other departments of the Medical School including Laboratory Medicine, Neuroimaging, Cardiology, Child Psychiatry, Internal Medicine, Anesthesiology, Genetics, Epidemiology, and Pharmacology. These collaborative relationships between the Division of Substance Abuse and these diverse departments and institutions provides a format for technology transfer, that is, the rapid movement of treatment innovations into clinical practice.

The shared goals of this association of researchers include: Continued exploration of vulnerability to the development of alcohol and substance abuse, among children as well as adults at risk, Expanding preclinical work in the area of medications development, with particular emphasis on cocaine abuse, Increasing our knowledge of the neurobiology of drugs of abuse through the use of SPECT and MRI technologies, as well as pharmacological challenge studies, Developing and testing the efficacy of novel treatments for substance abuse and for dually diagnosed substance-abusing patients.

Interested students, fellows or faculty are welcome to contact the following individual for additional information: Stephanie O'Malley, Ph.D.

Faculting listing includes only faculty related to the Division of Substance Abuse Research Clinic. A complete Department of Psychiatry Faculty lising is located under 'Research' on index.

Substance Abuse Faculty

Psychotherapy Development Research Center

Last modified: July 19, 2005