Alcohol and Substance Use Disorders

Experts in the Department of Psychiatry at Indiana University School of Medicine are exploring the underlying neurobiological, developmental and molecular bases of addictions. From identifying behavioral risk variables and affected brain regions to the systems governing impulsive addiction choices and the impact of cues on those choices, the department is at the forefront of addiction research.

Indiana Alcohol Research Center

For more than 30 years, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) has funded the Indiana Alcohol Research at IU School of Medicine. This center continues to provide exceptional research in the biomedical and psychosocial aspects that contribute to alcohol-use disorders

Alcohol Research

Medication Screen

IU School of Medicine researchers characterize a low-cost, high-throughput ethanol preference test in the nematode C. elegans. The Department of Psychiatry uses a novel approach that has shown to reduce ethanol drinking and/or seeking in vertebrate models in the C. elegans ethanol preference test, and characterize the selectivity of the response. This project provides a new and powerful high-output screening tool to help identify new pharmacotherapies to treat alcohol use disorders.

Neonatal Abstinence

Subject-matter experts investigate the long-term effects of neonatal abstinence using a combination of animal modeling and human investigation.

gloved hands prepare a sample under a microscope

Genetics

In collaboration with Department of Neurology’s David Kareken, PhD , alcohol and substance use disorder experts in the Department of Psychiatry work to determine the relationship between genetic predisposition to high alcohol drinking, development of aversion-resistant alcohol drinking and the contribution of prefrontal cortical glutamate systems.

Psychiatry Faculty Labs Focusing on Alcohol and Substance Use Disorders

The Adams Lab is improving access to high-quality clinical services for children, teens and families impacted by mental health problems and substance use.

The Oberlin Lab identifies behavioral risk variables, brain regions, and systems governing impulsive addiction choices and the impact of cues on those choices.