Addiction

Alcohol use disorder and addiction continue to shape public health in widespread and complex ways, influencing everything from metabolic disease and cancer risk to brain function and behavior. During Alcohol Awareness Month, we highlight the remarkable work of our community, whose research spans from molecules to behavior to shed light on this disorder. Read More

Ever wonder what about the ROI on biomedical research looks like? At the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Basic Sciences, scientists are delivering answers—by driving discoveries that are already improving human health and paving the way for tomorrow’s treatments. This 2025–26 roundup highlights some of the year’s most exciting advances, showing the extraordinary value of sustained support for biomedical science. Read More

A new study from the laboratory of Cody Siciliano suggests that two widely used medications for alcohol use disorder—naltrexone and nalmefene—may be equally effective overall but individuals only respond to one of the two medications. The findings could help explain why clinical trials of naltrexone and nalmefene have produced conflicting results and may point toward a precision-medicine strategy for treating alcohol use disorder. Read More

  Link List – Right Hand Column PlaceholderRefresh After Saving to Remove .link-list.jump-links{ padding-left: 0 !important; } CENTERS & INSTITUTES: Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research (VCAR) Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery (WCNDD) Vanderbilt Brain Institute The Brain Diseases affecting… Read More

Millions of Americans struggle with cocaine use, yet research tools don’t yet reflect real-world drug use. Vanderbilt scientists have developed a new approach that more accurately models how people use cocaine, strengthening efforts to understand addiction and develop better therapies Read More

Link List – Right Hand Column PlaceholderRefresh After Saving to Remove .link-list.jump-links{ padding-left: 0 !important; } CENTERS & INSTITUTES: Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research (VCAR) Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery (WCNDD) Vanderbilt Brain Institute The Brain Diseases affecting the… Read More

With novel insights in understanding and treating substance use disorder that have redirected neuropsychopharmacological dogma, Erin Calipari receives award from the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology. Read More

Prashant Donthamsetti has received a prestigious NIH Director’s Pioneer Award from the National Institute on Drug Abuse. His project will use a new platform called Tag-Guided Drug to uncover how specific dopamine signaling proteins contribute to addiction. This work paves the way for more precise and effective addiction therapies. Read More

New research by Vanderbilt pharmacologists has uncovered inconsistencies in the active ingredient levels of a dietary supplement often referred to as corydalis. The work, published in Frontiers in Pharmacology, highlights concerns regarding the efficacy and authenticity of these widely used supplements. Read More

Great Britain’s Wellcome Trust has recognized Vanderbilt’s Carrie K. Jones and the University of Glasgow’s Andrew Tobin with their prestigious Discovery Award. The pair will study how blocking the M5 muscarinic receptor in the brain counteracts opioids’ addictive properties, which could lead to new treatments for preventing or addressing opioid addiction. Read More