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Dr. Kenneth Blum, B.Sc. (Pharmacy), M.Sc., PhD, DHL- received his PhD in Neuropharmacology from New York Medical College and is a graduate from Columbia University and New Jersey College of Medicine. He trained at the Institute of Behavioral Genetics, Colorado University at Boulder, Colorado. He also received a doctor of humane letters from St Martins University. He has published over 500 abstracts, peer– reviewed articles and books (16). He has been the recipient of many grants and awards including a Life-Time Achievement in Addiction Medicine (Holistic Institute on Addiction Studies); Marquis Who Who's Life –Time Achievement Award, and Presidential Award for Scientific Excellence (National Council of Alcohol & Drug Abuse Councilors), Scientific Achievement Award (City of Life Miami) and Best Abstract (2012) Award ASRA (Pain); Path Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award (2014) and Honorary Full Professor (Eötvös Loránd University, Institute of Psychology, Budapest, Hungary) and American Society of Addiction Medicine Millennium Laboratory Award among many others. He coined the term "Reward Deficiency Syndrome "in 1995 now in Microsoft Dictionary, Gates Scientific dictionary and featured in SAGE Encyclopedia of Abnormal Psychology (2017). Currently he serves as Editor-in-chief of Journal of Reward Deficiency Syndrome & Addiction Science (Editor-in-chief), Co-EIC Neuroimaging in Psychiatry & Neurology, and is on the editorial board of 18 other scientific journals. As the lead author on the first genetic association of a dopaminergic gene with severe alcoholism, he is considered by some as the "Father of Psychiatric Genetics". He is the holder of many U.S. and foreign patents involving nutrigenomics. He is the lead author of a new Springer Neuroscience Brief book on the 12 Steps -entitled "Molecular Neurobiology of Addiction Recovery." Dr. Blum along with Mark Gold (St. Louis) and Philip Gorwood (Paris) has been named Editor-In Chief of Frontiers of Bioscience Special Issue on Reward Deficiency Syndrome (RDS). Dr. Blum is an adjunct Professor, in both the Department of Psychiatry at University of Florida College of Medicine and McKnight Brain Institute and the University of Vermont. He is Adjunct Full Professor in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Science, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California and Adjunct Full Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, Wright University Boonshoft School of Medicine, Dayton, Ohio. He also serves as Neuroscience advisor to many companies and foundations including Dominion Diagnostics (Chief Scientific Adviser), Path Foundation NY (Director of Science), Victory Nutrition, Impact Genomics, Shores Treatment & Recovery Center (Neuroscience Advisor) and Nupathways. He currently serves as Chairman of the board of Geneus Health, San Antonio, Texas. He is Emeritus Faculty of The Institute of Applied Genomics and Biotechnology, Nagpur, India. Major media outlets worldwide have covered his work on addiction. He is currently serving as President and CEO of IGENE, LLC, Austin Texas and Founding President United Science Group (USG). Dr. Blum is working on the first ever Genetic Addiction Risk Score (GARS) in conjunction with Geneus Health and Dominion Diagnostics. He is a frequent contributor to Sober World and Addiction Professional magazines. In conjunction with Merlene Miller and David Miller they just published their award winning book "Staying Clean and Sober". He is a sought after speaker on a global basis for insights into RDS and genetics. He has published in almost every major peer review journal in the world including Science, Nature, Lancet, JAMA, JAMA Psychiatry, PNAS, Plus One, Oncotarget, Cureus, psychopharmacology, molecular neurobiology, amongst many prestigious journals. His work has been featured in every major newspaper, magazine and television worldwide. He is indeed the father of Amino-Acid Therapy for Reward Deficiency Syndrome developing Pro –Dopamine Regulation to induce "dopamine Homeostasis "coupled with genetic testing for Personalized Addiction Medicine.
Kenneth Blum, PhD, DHL
Department of Psychiatry, Western University College of Medicine, Pomona, CA, USA
Neuropsychiatry and Genetics
Nutritional Genetics
Dr. Rajendra D. Badgaiyan is a Professor (Tenured) of Psychiatry at University of Minnesota. Dr. Badgaiyan graduated from Gandhi University with the degrees of MBBS, MD along with MA (Bhopal University) and completed his residency training in Psychiatry at the Harvard Medical School. Dr. Badgaiyan is a distinguished member of various renowned societies including Society of Nuclear Medicine, American Psychiatric Association, Society for Neuroscience and many more. He has authored more than 40 peer reviewed journal articles and has the credit of more than 30 presentations.
Rajendra Badgaiyan, MD
South Texas Veteran Health Care System, Audie L. Murphy Memorial VA Hospital, San Antonio, TX, USA
Brain Networks
Neurotransmitter Imaging
Founding Honorary Board
Dr. Marc Potenza is a board-certified Psychiatrist with sub-specialty training and certification in addiction psychiatry. He has trained at Yale University receiving a combined BS/MS with Honors in Molecular Biochemistry and Biophysics and a PhD in Cell Biology, the latter concurrent with the MD through the Medical Scientist Training Program. He completed internship, psychiatric residency and addiction psychiatry fellowship training at Yale. Currently, he is a Professor of Psychiatry, Child Study and Neurobiology at the Yale University School of Medicine where he is Director of the Problem Gambling Clinic, the Center of Excellence in Gambling Research, and the Women and Addictive Disorders Core of Women's Health Research at Yale. He is on the editorial boards of ten journals (including editor-in-chief of Current Addiction Reports) and has received multiple national and international awards for excellence in research and clinical care. He has consulted to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, National Registry of Effective Programs, National Institutes of Health, American Psychiatric Association and World Health Organization on matters of addiction. He has participated in two DSM-5 research work groups, addressing topics relating to gambling, impulse control, and addiction. Dr. Potenza's research has focused on the neurobiology and treatment of substance and non-substance addictions and other disorders characterized by impaired impulse control and reward-related motivations. The majority of this work has focused on understanding clinical and neurobiological underpinnings of these disorders, and their co-occurrences with other mental health disorders, in order to advance prevention and treatment strategies. Dr. Potenza's research has applied brain imaging, genetic, epidemiological and clinical trials methodologies to gain knowledge and improve prevention and treatment strategies for addictive disorders. This work has also involved identifying potential intermediary phenotypes, like facets of impulsivity, that may in part explain the high rates of co-occurrence between psychiatric conditions and might represent novel targets for prevention and treatment strategies.
Marc Potenza, MD, PhD
Yale University, USA
Non-Substance or Behavioral Addictions
Dr. Eric J. Nestler is the Nash Family Professor of Neuroscience at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, where he serves as Chair of the Department of Neuroscience and Director of the Friedman Brain Institute. He received his BA, PhD, and MD degrees, and psychiatry residency training, from Yale University. He served on the Yale faculty from 1987-2000, where he was the Elizabeth Mears and House Jameson Professor of Psychiatry and Neurobiology, and Director of the Division of Molecular Psychiatry. He moved to Dallas in 2000 where he served as the Lou and Ellen McGinley Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychiatry at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center until moving to New York in 2008. Dr. Nestler is a member of the Institute of Medicine and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. The goal of Dr. Nestler's research is to better understand the molecular mechanisms of addiction and depression based on work in animal models, and to use this information to develop improved treatments of these disorders.
Eric J. Nestler, MD, PhD
Mount Sinai School of Medicine, USA
Molecular Mechanism of Addiction
Animal Models
Developing Treatments
Dr. Mark S. Gold is a translational researcher, author, and inventor best known for his pioneering work on the brain systems underlying the effects of opiate drugs, cocaine, and overeating. His research career started in 1972 and he has been a prolific author of more than 1,000 academic texts, abstracts, articles and chapters. Starting in the lab and teaching Neuroscience, his research in the 1970s in this area led to a dramatic change in the way opiate action was understood. He proposed a novel model for opiate action, dependence, and withdrawal. This locus coeruleus theory of opiate and drug withdrawal is a mainstay of 2014 theory and practice, even though he proposed it in 1978. Dr. Gold was awarded the 2006 Nelson J Bradley award by NAATP, the American Psychiatric Associations Foundations Fund Award & Prize, China Academy of Sciences and other prestigious awards. Most recently (2015), he was awarded the John P McGovern award and prize by ASAM at the ASAM Annual Convention for his distinguished career.
Mark S. Gold, MD
University of Florida, USA
Opiate Action
Opiate Drugs
Dr. Andrew Smolen is the Director of the Institute for Behavioral Genetics' (IBG) Genotyping and Sequencing Laboratory, Senior Research Associate and Faculty Fellow of IBG at the University of Colorado Boulder. Trained as a biochemist and pharmacologist, he has developed expertise in the design, implementation, and interpretation of large scale human molecular genetic studies including the National Youth Survey Family Study and the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. He has established multidisciplinary collaborations at the University of Colorado and other universities nation-wide and internationally with colleagues investigating the genetic correlates of such diverse behaviors as drug and alcohol abuse, parenting, eating disorders and depression using candidate gene, genetic composite and genome-wide methodologies. His role in each of these collaborations has been to oversee and coordinate the DNA collection and genotyping aspects of the studies.
Andrew Smolen, PhD
University of Colorado at Boulder, USA
Substance Abuse
Eating Disorders
Adolescent Health
Population Studies
Dr. Michael Ritsner, MD, PhD is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Israel Institute of Technology (Technion) in Haifa, Israel. He also serves as Head of the Acute Department of the Sha'arMenashe Mental Health Center. Dr. Ritsner is certified by the Israeli Board of Psychiatry. He has over 40 years of experience in psychiatry, medical genetics, education, and research, and has held administrative and teaching positions at numerous institutions. Dr. Ritsner is internationally renowned for his research in schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Particular areas of interest include anhedonia, neurosteroids, neuroprotection, and quality of life deficit syndrome.Dr. Ritsner has published over 180 articles,reviews, and book chapters and has lectured widely in national and international scientific forums. He has given more than 200 presentations including as invited speaker at scientific conferences and medical education events. His research work has been supported by grants from the Stanley Foundation (USA). Dr. Ritsner is the co-author of two books on neuropsychiatry and editor of series follows 14 volumes, which provide a comprehensive up-to-date state of the art overview of the literature that addresses the challenges facing clinical and biological psychiatry.
Michael Ritsner, MD
Sha'ar Menashe Mental Health Center, Israel
Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders
Dr. David E. Smith is recognized as a national leader in the treatment of addictive disease, the psychopharmacology of drugs, new research strategies in the management of drug abuse problems, and appropriate prescribing practices for physicians. He teaches that addiction is a primary medical illness which is best treated in a multidisciplinary fashion, utilizing the group process and the 12-Step programs of Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous and Cocaine Anonymous. Dr. Smith lectures on the management of psychoactive drug dependence, including cocaine, alcohol and prescription drugs. He also speaks on the subjects of impaired and recovering clinicians, substance abuse in the workplace, dual diagnosis disorders, and substance abuse and the criminal justice system, among many other topics. He provides medical review of DOT and private industry drug testing and prescription drug plans, and legal consultation. Dr. Smith founded the Haight Ashbury Free Clinics in 1967, inaugurating the principle of "Health Care is a Right, not a Privilege." He has served on federal, state and local bodies addressing substance use, abuse and treatment, and has received numerous awards, including the 2013 Peter E. Haas Award from the University of California Berkeley. He lectures extensively and is the author/co-author of over 360 professional articles and books, including Unchain Your Brain: 10 Steps to Breaking the Addictions that Steal Your Life, with Dr. Daniel Amen.
David E. Smith, MD
University of California at San Francisco, USA
Adolescent Addiction
Dual Diagnosis
Process Addictions
Dr. Mauro Ceccanti completed his MD in 1975. Dr. Ceccanti published 353 scientific papers, 115 congresses talks and edited about 30 books. He was awarded with "Crescendo" Award for scientific Activity and "Cavaliere" of Italian Republic for scientific excellence in 1990. He is a part of many scientific societies and got more than 30 research grants and contracts with public and private foundations.
Mauro Ceccanti, MD
University of Rome, Italy
Alcohol Addiction
Genetic Polymorphisms
Molecular Basis of Alcoholism
Dr. Marlene Oscar-Berman is professor of psychiatry, neurology, and anatomy & neurobiology, as well as a research career scientist at the Veterans Affairs (VA) Boston Healthcare System. To date, she has published approximately 200 peer-reviewed manuscripts, invited reviews, and book chapters. She has made major contributions in multiple distinct areas, but is probably best known for her insightful work on brain mechanisms associated with perceptual, emotional, and cognitive impairments in chronic alcoholics with and without Korsakoff's syndrome. Dr. Berman's contributions to science have been recognized with numerous awards and honors, ranging from a Fulbright scholarship, to awards for excellence in research from the Massachusetts Neuropsychological Society, the Research Society on Alcoholism, and the Distinguished Career award from the International Neuropsychological Society, to name a few.
Marlene Oscar-Berman, PhD
Boston University, USA
Brain Abnormalities
Chronic Alcoholism
Dr. Mark Griffiths is a chartered psychologist and professor of gambling studies at the Nottingham Trent University, and Director of the International Gaming Research Unit. He has spent almost 30 in the field is internationally known for his work into gaming and gambling. He has published over 500 refereed research papers, four books, 120+ book chapters and over 1000 other articles. He has served on numerous national and international committees and gambling charities (e.g. National Chair of GamCare, Society for the Study of Gambling, Gamblers Anonymous General Services Board, National Council on Gambling etc.). He has won 14 national and international awards for his work including the John Rosecrance Prize (1994), CELEJ Prize (1998), Joseph Lister Prize (2004) and the US National Council on Problem Gambling Lifetime Research Award (2012). He also does a lot of freelance journalism and has appeared on over 2500 radio and television programmes.
Mark Griffiths, PhD
Nottingham Trent University, UK
Behavioral Addiction
Gambling Addiction
Gaming Addiction
Online Addictions
Dr. Philip Gorwood studied medicine from 1982-1988, and specialised in psychiatry in 1988. He is currently full Professor of Psychiatry at Sainte-Anne Hospital and Head of the CMME department [Clinique des Maladies Mentales et de L'Encéphale, with 60 beds], teaching at the Paris-Descartes University. He is also Head of the Team 1 at INSERM (Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche MEdical) research unit 894 (Center of Psychiatry and Neuroscience) devoted to genetic vulnerability of psychiatric and addictive disorders. Professor Gorwood has published over 200 scientific articles (h-index=42) and 24 book chapters. He has served on 16 editorial boards for journals in psychiatry, neuroscience and genetics, and is editor-in-chief of the journal European Psychiatry (IF=3.2) and responsible for the Progress in mind: Focus on Alcohol Use Disorders Resource Centre developed by Elsevier. He is now treasurer and member of the Core Organising and Scientific Committee (COSC), Executive Committee (EC) and board of the European Psychiatric Association. He joined the scientific advisory (SAB) board of the ECNP for addictive disorders in 2009. In 1992, Professor Gorwood received the Lilly 'First Communication' award and later in 1997, the French Association for Biological Psychiatry 'Best Communication of the Year' award. In 1999, he received the Association of European Psychiatry 'Young Researcher' award; and in 2000 the French National Academy of Medicine for the best research.
Philip Gorwood, MD, PhD
Paris Descartes University, France
Eating Disorder
A psychologist, Frederick Toates holds the position of Emeritus Professor of Biological Psychology at the Open University in the United Kingdom, having previously held teaching posts at the University of Central Lancashire in the United Kingdom and Odense University, Denmark. His research interest is in the construction of a theory of motivation based upon an understanding of brain processes. His latest book is How Sexual Desire Works: The Enigmatic Urge.
Frederick Toates, DPhil, DSc
The Open University, UK
Motivation Incentive Sex Drugs
Dr. Horace Loh, a graduate of National Taiwan University, earned his Ph.D. in biochemistry in 1965 from the University of Iowa and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Pharmacology at the University of California, San Francisco in 1967. He later joined their faculty in the Departments of Psychiatry and Pharmacology. Twenty years into a successful career at the UCSF Medical Center, Dr. Loh accepted the headship of the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Minnesota in 1989. The year following his appointment as Head of Pharmacology, he was named Frederick and Alice Stark Professor in Neuroscience by the Medical School. In 2010, he was named a Regents Professor at the University of Minnesota- the highest honor the University can bestow to its faculty members. Dr. Loh has published over 500 original research papers and has trained approximately 30 Ph.D. students and 100 postdoctoral fellows. He has received several major awards in his field, including, most recently, the Founder's Lecture Award from the International Narcotics Research Conference (2007); the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine's Distinguished Alumni Award for Achievement (2007); the Nathan B. Eddy Award for Lifetime Achievement in Drug Dependence Research from the College on Problems of Drug Dependence (2002); the Otto Krayer Award from the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET) (1999), and the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of American (PhRMA) Foundation Award in Excellence for Basic Pharmacology (1999).
Horace Loh, PhD
University of Minnesota, USA
Opiates and Opioids
Drug Addiction
Drug Tolerance
Drug Dependency
Dr. David E. Comings is a physician, neuroscientist, behavioral and molecular geneticist who was the Director of the Department of Medical Genetics at the City of Hope National Medical Center for 37 years before retiring in 2002. Dr. Comings was past editor of the American Journal of Human Genetics and past president of the American Society of Human Genetics. He has written four books and over 470 scientific articles including 104 on the clinical and genetic aspects of Tourette syndrome and ADHD, 55 on the genetic and clinical aspects of various dopamine genes and four on RDS.
David E. Comings, MD
City of Hope National Medical Center, USA
Tourette Syndrome
Dopamine Genes
Dr. Tomas Palomo, MD by the Complutense University of Madrid in 1971, PhD in neuroanatomy by the University of Valladolid in 1974. In 1971 his university activity begins as assistant professor of Neuroanatomy at Valladolid Medical School and since then has led multidisciplinary clinical-preclinical investigation groups studying the cerebral basis of psychiatric disorders in Spain and the United Kingdom. From 1976 to 1978 in MRC Brain Metabolism Unit at Edinburgh he works on the molecular basis of Schizophrenia using animal models of dopamine supersensitivity. From 1980 to 1984 in Aberdeen University he develops animal models for the study of schizophrenia, depression and addictive disorders. From 1979 he is Lecturer of Psychiatry in the Universities of Newcastle (1979-1980), Aberdeen (1980-1984) and from 1985 to the present, professor of Psychiatry in the Complutense University of Madrid, Spain. From 1990 head of Psychiatry Department of "University Hospital 12 of October" of Madrid, he organized a Mental Health Services Network to attend Area 11 of Madrid with 900,000 inhabitants and created a base of clinical and biological investigation. At "University Hospital 12 of October" he set up the Unit for the investigation and treatment of addictive disorders (1995), organizes a research group for the study of schizophrenia with neuroimaging techniques (1996), a Unit for basic experimental neuropsychopharmacology (1998) and the Unit for genetic studies (2002). His main research interest is the dopaminergic system and its involvement in schizopsychotic and addictive disorders, and, in relation to these, of personality disorders and impulsivity. At present he is the national coordinator of the schizophrenia programme of CIBERSAM (National Spanish Research Net for Biomedical Research in Mental Disorders) and member of its executive committee. He was the Director of the Official School of Psychiatry from 1989 to 2004, and President of the Natonal Commission of Psychiatry in Spain from 1995 to 2006. Since he started research, clinical and teaching activities in 1971 he has been very active in promoting multidisciplinary clinical-basic research in Spain. In 1993 he founded the Fundacion Cerebro y Mente, multidisciplinary non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion and development of basic and applied neurosciences. He has organized 29 national and international scientific congresses in Spain on neuroscientific advances and their relevance to psychiatry, and has published over 200 scientific publications. He is editor of the national series of books "Avances Neurocientíficos y Realidad Clinical" (10 volumes) and the international series: "Strategies for Studying Brain Disorders" (11 volumes). At present he is in Madrid as Professor of Psychiatry in the Complutense University of Madrid; Coordinator of Neurosciences Research and President of the Scientific Committee at "University Hospital 12 of October" and "Institute i+12"; Head of Group 19 of CIBERSAM; and he is also President of the Foundation Cerebro y Mente.
Tomas Palomo, MD, PhD
Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain
Clinical Psychiatry
Associate Editorial Board
Dr. Panayotis K. Thanos is interested in translational research utilizing various rodent models of psychopathology to better understand the mechanisms involved in substance use disorders (SUD) and addiction including the role of dopamine signaling , genes, environment, as well brain circuit mapping and connectivity changes in food, drug and alcohol abuse. Dr. Thanos is the Director of the Behavioral Neuropharmacology and Neuroimaging Lab and has authored more than 85 peer reviewed articles on reward and addiction.
Panayotis K. Thanos, PhD
Research Institute on Addictions at University at Buffalo,USA
Dopamine D2
Dr. Jhodie Duncan is currently working in the field of addiction neuroscience investigating the long-term effects of inhalant abuse, a world-wide problem of growing socioeconomic concern especially for adolescent and Indigenous populations. After being awarded her PhD in Developmental Neuroscience from the University of Melbourne in 2002, she received a CJ Martin Fellowship to work with Professor Hannah Kinney at Harvard/Children's Hospital Boston investigating the relationship between maternal cigarette smoking and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). She continues to perform an advocacy role in this field and serves as the Australian Scientific Coordinator on 2 international projects investigating Sudden and Unexpected Death in Pediatrics. In 2009 Dr Duncan took up a position with Professor Andrew Lawrence at the Florey developing a rodent model of adolescent inhalant misuse. In 2010 she was awarded an ARC Future Fellowship to continue this work, being promoted to Senior Research Fellow and Lab Head at the Florey within the last year. Her team is currently characterizing the long-term effects of adolescent inhalant abuse on behavior, relating these changes to pathalogical, neurochemical, epigenetic and metabolic changes in the brain and peripheral organs to better understand the mechanisms mediating inhalant-induced dysfunction. She currently has 37 publications and her work has been recognized through avenues including award of a First Candle/SIDS Alliance Fellowship and The Queen's Trust For Young Australian's.
Jhodie Duncan, PhD
University of Melbourne, Australia
Inhalant Abuse
Dr. Zsolt Demetrovics, PhD is clinical psychologist and cultural anthropologist. Professor Demetrovics is director of the Institute of Psychology at the Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary and head of the Department of Clinical Psychology & Addiction at the same Institute. He has published numerous research papers on the epidemiology and psychological background of substance use behavior and behavioral addictions.
Zsolt Demetrovics, PhD
Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary
Substance Use Disorder
Behavioral Addiction
Internet Gaming Disorder
Dr. Igor Elman is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He was trained at the National Institute of Mental Health and is a Diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry with a subspecialty certification in Addiction Psychiatry. Presently Dr. Elman heads a clinical research lab, focused on the role of reward and motivational systems in pathophysiology of severe neuropsychiatric disorders, including addictions, schizophrenia and post-traumatic stress disorder. Dr. Elman is a past recipient of NIDA K23 and R01 Awards. He serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Psychology Research and Behavioral Management.
Igor Elman, MD
Harvard Medical School, USA
Behavioral Addiction
Gambling Disorder
Dr. Thomas Simpatico is a psychiatrist who trained at the University of Chicago and specializes in public health systems, serious mental illness, substance abuse services and public policy. He is Research Professor & Director of the Division for Integrated Health & Human Services at the UVM Center for Clinical & Translational Science and Professor of Psychiatry and Director of the Division of Public Psychiatry at the UVM College of Medicine. He receives over $2 million in annual funding from the Veterans Administration for projects designed to connect veterans and their families with health care and human services. Through UVM he serves as Chief Medical Officer for the Department of Vermont Health Access (the Vermont Medicaid Authority), which oversees $1.3 billion in health care funding annually. He is a member of Governor Shumlin's Criminal Justice and Substance Abuse Cabinet and is part of the leadership team overseeing Vermont's "hub and spoke" system for opiate replacement therapy.
Thomas Simpatico, MD
University of Vermont, USA
Medicine and the Law/Public Policy
Decision Support System Design
Veterans' Services
Dr. M. Foster Olive received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of California at San Diego in 1991, and his Doctor of Philosophy in Neuroscience from the University of California at Los Angeles in 1997. He has held positions at Stanford University, the University of California at San Francisco, and the Medical University of South Carolina, and he is currently an Associate Professor in the Behavioral Neuroscience area of the Department of Psychology at Arizona State University.
M. Foster Olive, PhD
Arizona State University, USA
Dr. Ken Roy is president and medical director of Biobehavioral Medicine Company, LLC in Metairie, LA., an addiction focused medical practice, and Addiction Recovery Resources, Inc., an outpatient and residential treatment program for addiction, also in Metairie. Dr Roy is founder and medical director of the Dual Diagnosis Unit (DDU) at River Oaks Hospital in Harahan, LA and also has had a successful addiction and psychiatric private practice for over 25 years. Dr. Roy received his medical degree from Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans. He completed his internship at the Charity Hospital of New Orleans and a residency in psychiatry at the Tulane University School of Medicine. Dr. Roy is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, a Fellow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine and is certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and the American Board of Addiction Medicine. He is a member of the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry and the American Medical Association and the Louisiana Psychiatric Medical Association (LPMA) and is a Past President of LPMA. He has held leadership positions in the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) and is currently an At Large member of the Board of Directors.
A. Kenison Roy, MD
Tulane University Medical School, USA
Personalized Medicine
Dr. Edward Modestino is a multimodal neuroimaging expert. He has used neuroimaging (fMRI, fcMRI, DTI, SPECT) and electrophysiology (EEG, SC, and plethysmography) as tools to study cognition, attention, perception, and altered states of consciousness, with a particular interest in psychopathologies (ADHD, narcolepsy, and Parkinson's disease). He plans to study the connection between ADHD and Narcolepsy within the framework of RDS using a connectomic approach, combining neuroimaging and genetic screening. He is a Research Assistant Professor of Neurology at Boston University School of Medicine.
Edward Modestino, PhD
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, USA
Dr. Bryan Yamamoto received his PhD from Syracuse University in Neurobiology after which, he completed a postdoctoral fellowship in clinical pharmacology at the University of Colorado Medical School. He is Professor and Chair of the Department of Neurosciences at the University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences. He has been a member of NIH Study Sections since 1987 and a member of several advisory boards of NIH sponsored research centers and programs. His research has been funded continuously over the last 28 years by the NIH and has focused on how drugs of abuse and stress affect the neurochemistry of brain through neuroimmune, oxidative, and excitotoxic processes.
Bryan K. Yamamoto, PhD
Indiana University School of Medicine, USA
Animal Models
Dr. Brett Haberstich is a Senior Research Associate at the Institute for Behavioral Genetics at the University of Colorado Boulder. Broadly, his research interests include the role genetic influences have on health and behavior. Specifically, he is interested in longitudinal relationship between early drug use and associated behaviors with later more problematic use and the role genetic background has in these relationships.
Brett Haberstick, PhD
University of Colorado at Boulder, USA
Behavioral Disinhibition
Dr. Subhash C. Pandey received his PhD from the Pharmacology division of the Central Drug Research Institute in Lucknow, India and then received his postdoctoral training in neuropsychopharmacology in the Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago. He is currently Professor of Psychiatry, Anatomy and Cell Biology and director of neuroscience alcoholism research at University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago. Dr Pandey also holds position as a VA Career Scientist at the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago. He is well known for his scientific contributions towards molecular and cellular neuroscience of alcoholism and anxiety disorders. He is an active member of the Research Society on Alcoholism (RSA), International Society for Biomedical Research on Alcoholism (ISBRA) and several other scientific societies, and a fellow of the Indian Academy of Neurosciences and Collegium Internationale Neuro-sychophamacologicum (CINP). His research has given valuable scientific knowledge for the better understanding of pathophysiology of complex brain diseases, such as addictive behaviors. Several of his scientific discoveries have been highlighted by the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Pandey has received various honors and awards, most notably the 2010 Bowles Lectureship Award in alcoholism research by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA and Mario Toppo Distinguished Scientist Award by Association of Scientists of Indian Origin in America in 2014.
Subhash Pandey, PhD
University of Illinois at Chicago, USA
Neurobiology of Alcoholism
Signaling Mechanism
Gene Expression
Dr. Yijun Liu received his PhD in Physiology at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, Texas. He is currently the River Branch Professor at the University of Florida College of Medicine and has been a tenured Professor there as well. His area of expertise is in magnetic resonance imaging methodology and image processing, innovations, and applications in neuroscience such as addiction, obesity, autism and depression. He has received numerous awards such as the Independent Researcher Award by National Alliance for Research in Schizophrenia and Depression (NARSAD), 2010; College of Medicine Senior Faculty Award by UF International Center, 2009; The Oversea Outstanding Young Investigator Award (B Category) by NSFC, 2006 (China); Young Investigator Award by National Alliance for Research in Schizophrenia and Depression (NARSAD), 2001; Bristol-Myers Squibb Award by American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP), 2000; Student Stipend Awards, International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, 1997 and 1998; and Best Presentation Award, Society For Neuroscience, Texas Chapter, 1995. He has been an Editorial Board Member for the American Journal of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine. Liu has served as a reviewer in various peer-reviewed journals and on several grant/NIH sections.
Yijun Liu, PhD
University of Florida, USA
Dr. Debmalya Barh (MSc, MTech, MPhil, PhD) is an expert in integrative omics–based biomarkers, target discovery, and personalized medicine in cancers and neuro disorders. He is the founder of the Institute of Integrative Omics and Applied Biotechnology (IIOAB) - a first-of-its-kind research organization in India that provides a global platform for multidisciplinary research and advocacy. He works with more than 400 scientists from 100+ top ranked institutes across 40-45 countries. He is one of the important members of Prof. Blum's research group in working with Reward deficiency syndrome (RDS). He has 145+ publications and a reviewer of highly reputed journals from publishers like PloS, Nature, Elsevier, and Springer. He is also a branded editor for cutting-edge omics related books from Springer and Taylor & Francis. Due to his significant contribution in the field and unique research strategies, he is recognized by Who's Who in the World and Limca Book of Records.
Debmalya Barh, PhD
Institute of Integrative Omics and Applied Biotechnology, India
Intergrative Omics-based Biomarkers
Target Discovery
Personalized Medicine
Dr. Kelvin Lim is Professor and Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Psychiatry where he holds the Drs. T.J. and Ella M. Arneson Land Grant Chair in Human Behavior. He received a B.A. in Human Biology and an M.D. from Johns Hopkins University. He completed an internship and residency in psychiatry at Stanford University. He joined the University of Minnesota faculty in 2001. He serves as the Director of 3T Services at the Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Site Investigator of the Defense Veterans Brain Injury Center at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System and Director of the Nun Study. Dr. Lim's research interests are in the use of neuroimaging approaches to study brain disorders and the development of new treatment approaches using neuromodulation to harness brain plasticity to improve function.
Kelvin Lim, MD
University of Minnesota, USA
Brain Disorders
Brain Plasticity
David Baron is currently Professor and Vice Chair, and Chief of Psychiatry at University Hospital at the Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California. Dr. Baron is also the Director of the Global Center for Exercise, Psychiatry and Sport at USC and Chairman of the Section on Exercise, Psychiatry and Sport for the World Psychiatric Association/World Health Organization. He is also a current member of the Executive Board of Directors for the International Society of Sports Psychiatrists and the 2010 Consumer Council of America "Top Doc" for Sport Psychiatry. Dr. Baron is the former Deputy Clinical Director of the National Institute of Mental Health and Chair of the Department Psychiatry at the NIH graduate school 1989-1997 and Temple University (1998-2010). He developed, and holds the copyright on the only validated depression screener specifical for athletes (BDSA), which is currently in use in over 7 countries. He has over 30 years of clinical experience in sports medicine and sports psychiatry and has worked with athletes of all ages and levels of competition including NCAA, Olympic, and professional. He has published over 130 peer reviewed publications and presented over 300 scientific presentations in the US and over 30 invited international talks, many in the area of Doping in Sports and Depression, Drug Use and Concussion in athletes. His current clinical and research interests are in the neuropsychiatric sequel of recurrent sub-clinical concussion and TBI in athletes, specifically focused on developing more sensitive, user-friendly screening instruments and methods, and increasing public awareness of this growing problem.
David Baron, DO, MSEd
Keck School of Medicine of USC, USA
Global MH Public Literacy
Neuropsych aspects of Repetitive mTBI
Dr. Marco Diana, Professor of Pharmacology, with background in electrophysiology (in vivo and in vitro recordings), neurochemistry (microdialysis), neuroanatomy (confocal laser scanning microscopy) and behavior of central dopaminergic systems applied to the study of animal models of addictive behaviors and its cognitive reflections. In particular: central effects of withdrawal from addicting chemicals (opiates, alcohol, cannabinoids etc) and reflections on possible therapies (translational neuroscience of addiction).
Marco Diana, MD, PhD
University of Sassari, Italy
Neuroscience of Addiction
Addiction Therapies
Structural Plasticity
At 7 years, Dr. Trevor Archer was sent to St. Joseph's College (school), North Point, Darjeeling, and from 15-17 years he attended Wallington Grammar School, Wallington, Surrey, UK. During this time he was part-time stable lad, Epsom, Surrey. With 'O'-levels, he was offered a position at the Institute of Animal Physiology, Babraham, UK, and took his HND qualification at Cambridge Polytechnical College, Cambridge, UK (1971). Thereafter, he obtained an Honour's degree (Psychology and Physiology) at Newcastle-upon-Tyne University (1974), and a PhD, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden (1979). From 1978 (Aug) to 1988 (Dec), he was employed by Astra Läkemedel AB with the position of Head of CNS Drugs when he left to take up his appointment as Professor and Chair of Biological Psychology. Dr. Archer have the position of Guest or Visiting Professor at: University of Hawaii at Manoa, Örebro University, Karlstad University, Kalmar University, Madrid University and received an Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award from St. Joseph's College, North Point (2010); Honorary Doctorship,: Professorship and Membership Awards from the Polish Academy of Science Pharmacological Society (may, 2013); and the Sansone Award (April, 2014): School of Medicine, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri.
Trevor Archer, PhD
University of Gothenburg, Sweden
Dr. Jag Khalsa, with about 50 years of experience in drug research, serves as the Chief of the Medical Consequences Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, NIH, DHHS; is responsible for developing/administering a national and international program of clinical research on medical and health consequences of drug abuse and co-occurring infections (HIV, HCV, and others). Prior to joining NIDA in 1987, he served for ~10 yrs as a pharmacologist/toxicologist assessing safety (carcinogenic/teratogenic) potential of chemicals [INDs/NDAs] and food additives) and clinical evaluator at FDA. He has published in pharmacology, toxicology, epidemiology and medical journals. He serves on editorial boards of Journals of Addiction Medicine, Research on HIV/AIDS and Palliative Care, Frontiers of Neuroscience, and Clinical Infectious Diseases. He also serves on numerous Federal and NIH level committees including the HHS Viral Hepatitis Implementation Group (VHIG), National Commission on Digestive Diseases and its two sub-committees (Liver Research, Diabetes Research), Federal Task Force on TB, NIH Steering Committee on Centers for AIDS Research, and Human Microbiome Workgroup. He has received distinguished service awards from the FDA Commissioner, NIDA and NIH Directors, Society of Neuro-Immune-Pharmacology (SNIP), Life Time Achievement Awards from SNIP and International Conference on Molecular Medicine (India) and MIT, India; a commendation from the US Congress, Awards of Merit from the International Society of Addiction Medicine (ISAM), the President of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM), and a Certificate of Appreciation from the Office of Assistant Secretary for Health (Drs. Howard Koh and Ron Valdiserri), DHHS. He has a PhD in neuro-psycho-pharmacology, a Master's degree in herbal pharmacology, post-doctoral training in CNS/Cardiovascular pharmacology at SK&F, and Toxicology at SRI International.
Jag Khalsa, MS, PhD
National Institute on Drug Abuse, USA
Drug Abuse
Subject Editors
Dr. Peter R. Martin, MD, MSc is Professor of Psychiatry and Pharmacology at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and Director of the Vanderbilt Addiction Center. Dr. Martin received an Honours BSc in Molecular Genetics, in 1971 and the MD, CM, in 1975, both from McGill University and an MSc (Pharmacology) from the University of Toronto, in 1979. He was Resident in Internal Medicine (1975-1976), Fellow in Clinical Pharmacology (1976-1978), and Resident in Psychiatry (1978-1980) all at the University of Toronto. Subsequently he was a Visiting Scientist in the Section of Experimental Therapeutics, Laboratory of Clinical Science, National Institute of Mental Health (1980-1983); Chief of the Section of Clinical Science, Laboratory of Clinical Studies at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (1983-1986); and Associate Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry & Pharmacology at Vanderbilt University (1986-1992).His research program has been funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and the National Institute on Drug Abuse as well as foundation and pharmaceutical industry support.
Peter R. Martin, MD
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, USA
Opioid use Disorder
Dr. Wayne L. Westcott, PhD, teaches exercise science and conducts strength training research at Quincy College in Quincy, Massachusetts. Dr. Westcott has been a strength training consultant for numerous organizations, including the United States Navy, the United States Air Force, the American Council on Exercise, the YMCA of the USA, and Nautilus. He has authored 25 books and textbooks, and more than 60 peer-reviewed academic papers.Dr. Westcott served as an editorial advisor, reviewer, writer, and columnist for many publications, including The Physician and Sports medicine, ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal, ACSM's Certified News, Fitness Management, Perspective, On-Site Fitness, Prevention, and Shape. He has been a keynote speaker for national meetings of the American College of Sports Medicine, the American College of Nutrition, the National Intramural and Recreational Sports Association, Harvard University School of Medicine, and Creighton University School of Medicine. He has received the Healthy American Fitness Leader Award from the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Association of Fitness Professionals, the Hall of Fame Award from the International Fitness Professionals Association, the Alumni Recognition Award from the Pennsylvania State University, and the Marla Richmond Memorial Education Award from the Medical Fitness Association.
Wayne Westcott, PhD
Quincy College, USA
Strength Training Protocols
Health-Related effects of Resistance Exercise
Dr. Joachim Uys received his PhD in 2006 from the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Neuroscience at the Medical University of South Carolina where he is currently assistant professor in the Department of Cell and Molecular Pharmacology. The main focus of Dr. Uys's research is redox regulation of drug-induced neuroplasticity with emphasis on cocaine and alcohol addiction. Other research interests include mass spectrometry and neuroproteomics.
Joachim Uys, PhD
Medical University of South Carolina, USA
Oxidative Stress
Redox Signaling
Dr. William S. Jacobs, MD is board certified in Anesthesiology, Pain Medicine, and Addiction Medicine. A Phi Beta Kappa, Magna Cum Laude University of Georgia undergraduate and graduate of the Medical College of Georgia, Dr. Jacobs did his Anesthesiology Residency at the University of Alabama-Birmingham before matriculating to UF for his Addiction Medicine Fellowship. He is currently Associate Professor in Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine: Co-Chief of Pain Medicine at the University of Florida. His work has included serving as Medical Director of multiple addiction treatment programs as well as expert witness work, consulting with state and federal agencies, authoring peer reviewed works and as on pharmacologic studies.
William S. Jacobs, MD
Georgia Regents University, USA
Addiction Treatment
Iatrogenic Pain/Substance Abuse
Impaired Health Professionals
Dr. Daniel H. Angres is the Founder and Medical Director of the Positive Sobriety Institute and Chief Medical Officer of RiverMend Health. He is also an Adjunct Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine. He is an expert in the evaluation and treatment of professionals, especially those in the healthcare professions. He has particular expertise and research experience in the interface of addiction and personality and the use of meditation and mindfulness in addiction recovery.
Daniel H. Angres, MD
Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, USA
Addicted Professionals
Personality Variables
Dr. David Han, PhD is a statistics professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio, Texas. He has over 16 years of teaching and instructional experience, and won numerous national and institutional awards for his overall academic excellence and scholarship. He has a diverse scientific background including biochemistry, genetic engineering, biostatistics, and bioinformatics.
David Han, PhD
University of Texas at San Antonio, USA
Medical Data Analytics
Competing Risk Analysis
Dr. Adi Jaffe received his PhD from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 2010. Even before he graduated Dr. Jaffe's name had become known through his online and academic writing. His views on addiction and his research on the topic have been published in dozens of journals and online publications and he has appeared on several television shows and documentaries discussing current topics in addiction and the problem of addiction as a whole. Dr. Jaffe also teaches courses at UCLA and the California State University in Long Beach that address addiction specifically or biological psychology and behavioral neuroscience more generally. Dr. Jaffe's view is a holistic one, drawing from the best and most recent research to bring as complete a solution to addiction clients. At Alternatives, Dr. Jaffe serves as the Director of Research, education, and innovation and is in charge of client monitoring, technology solutions, and data collections and outcomes research. His goal is to make Alternatives the best treatment program there is.
Adi Jaffe, PhD
Alternatives Behavioral Health, USA
Counseling and Clinical Strategies
Substance Use Disorders (SUD)
Dr. Aviv M. Weinstein, PhD is an Associate Professor of Psychology in the School of Behavioral Science in the University of Ariel in Israel and he is an addiction specialist. He did his PhD in Psychology and Psychopharmacology in the Psychology Dept. and the School of Medical Sciences at the University of Bristol in the UK. He was a visiting research fellow at the Brain Imaging Center, Intramural Research Program (IRP), National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) in Johns Hopkins Bayview Hospital in Baltimore, MD USA where he was trained in PET brain imaging in drug addiction. He is a fellow of the College on Drug and Alcohol Dependence and a member of the World Federation of the Societies for Biological Psychiatry. He published book chapters on internet addiction, compulsive buying and exercise addiction and he serves on the editorial board of 10 major journals on addiction and clinical Psychology, academic editor for PLOSONE and a review editor in Frontiers in Addictive Disorders and Behavioral Dyscontrol.
Aviv Weinstein, PhD
Hadassah Medical Organization, Israel
Pharmacological and Psychological Treatment of Drug
Alcohol and Behavioral Addictions
Drug Addiction
Dr. Bowirrat has completed his PhD in 2002 from Tel Aviv University and Post-Doc in 2003 from Boston University school of Medicine. He published large number of articles on many topics in neurology, epidemiology, genetics and behavioral neuroscience and participated in a large number of conferences worldwide (USA, CANADA, EUROPE and other countries). Dr. Bowirrat held many administrative positions and also served as Dean in Mar-Elias campus, branch of the University of Indianapolis, Manager of the scientific and technological topics at the ministry of science and technology, helped organize conferences, and contributed greatly to the higher education of Arab students in various institutes. Dr. Bowirrat involvements are in various administrative and educational activities in Colleges and Universities testify for his keen interest in community activities. He has both MD and PhD degrees, and had worked in a large number of institutions, specializing in clinical neurology, genetics, and epidemiology. He had extensive teaching and administrative experience, and served as a consultant and scientific Manager in the Ministry of Science in Israel.
A. Bowirrat, PhD
The Nazareth English Hospital (EMME), Israel
Human Genetics
Behavioral Neuroscience
Dr. John Giordano is a pioneer in alternative medicine. He was one of the leaders to usher holistic protocols into the mainstream of addiction treatment. Dr. Giordano is the founder and former president of G & G Holistic Addiction Treatment Center – a 62 bed in/out patient JCAHO accredited facility in North Miami Beach, Florida – and the founder and current president of the National Institute for Holistic Addiction Studies (NIFHAS). The addiction treatment programs he developed at G & G have been proven to consistently out-perform industry standards. Dr. Giordano is the author of two books: "Proven Holistic Treatment For Addiction & Chronic Relapse," and "How To Beat Your Addictions And live A Quality Life" and co-author of "Molecular Neurobiology of Addiction Recovery – The 12 Steps Program and Fellowship. He has also contributed to over sixty-five papers published in peer-reviewed medical and scientific journals and is a highly requested national and international speaker on the subject of addiction.
John J. Giordano, DMD
National Institute of Holistic Addiction Studies, USA
Addiction Treatment
Reward Deficiency Syndrome
Dr. Deborah Matteliano is a Nurse Practitioner and ANCC Certified Pain Management Specialist. Her research focuses on mitigating risk for addiction using a biopsychosocial-spiritual approach. She has authored six recent publications and serves on national expert panels focusing on prescription drug abuse and chronic pain. Having over 30 years in managing addictions and chronic pain conditions, she speaks nationally addressing clinicians concerns. She enjoys bicycle racing, and is the current champion women's cyclist of the 6-hour Calvin's Classic bicycle race. Residing in Buffalo NY, she has had a pain management practice for over20 years, serves as Master Faculty for the American Society for Pain Management Nursing, and is Adjunct Professor of Nursing at the University at Buffalo NY.
Deborah Matteliano, PhD
State University of New York, Buffalo, USA
Prescription Drug Abuse
Dr. Ioannis Mavridis (born April 12, 1984) is a neuroanatomist, researcher on stereotactic and neurosurgical anatomy. His has published several studies, mainly focusing on the human nucleus accumbens. Among his research achievements are the identification of the most reliable stereotactically standard part of the human nucleus accumbens and the discovery of its atrophy in Parkinson's disease.
Ioannis N. Mavridis, MD, PhD
K.A.T.-N.R.C. General Hospital of Attica, Greece
Deep Brain Stimulation
Nucleus Accumbens
Parkinson's Disease
Dr. Anish Bajaj has practiced Chiropractic in New York City since 2001 with a focus on wellness and integrative healthcare strategies. Following graduation from State University of New York at Geneseo, Dr. Bajaj pursued his Doctor of Chiropractic from Life University in Atlanta Georgia. He has been the Director of Neuromuscular, Skeletal and Vascular Diagnostics at world renowned brain anti-aging center, Path Medical, for the past 13 years and has served as their Executive Health Program Director since 2006. As a clinician Dr. Bajaj specializes in Sacro-Occiptal-Technique, Soft Tissue Orthopedics, Sports Chiropractic, Electro-Therapeutics and Spinal Stabilizing Foot Orthotics. He served on the Executive Board of the New York Chiropractic Council from 2008 to 2010 as the President of the Manhattan District. He co-founded the American Decompression Pro Chiropractors which introduced the patented Neuro-Oxy Spinal Decompression Technique. His research in the fields of electrotherapeutics and cognitive function correlations to bone metabolism has been published in peer-reviewed journals including BMC Endocrine Disorders. He has also authored articles on integrative care, extremity adjusting/sports chiropractic, and the advancement of chiropractic neurology. As an Anti-Aging expert Dr. Bajaj has served as Instructor for the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine and has lectured around the U.S. as well as in Paris, Singapore and Beijing as a guest of the World Congress on Anti-Aging. Dr Bajaj is currently working on advancement of EEG data utilization in research, clinician support and patient education applications.
Anish Bajaj, DC
Path Medical Clinics, USA
Heart Rate Variablity
Functional Neurology
Dr. Lisa Merlo is a licensed clinical psychologist and assistant professor of psychiatry at the University Of Florida College Of Medicine. Dr. Merlo earned her B.A. from Transylvania University, then earned her M.A. and Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Wayne State University. She completed postdoctoral training in clinical child psychology at the University of Florida, and then earned a second master's degree in psychiatric epidemiology from Washington University in St. Louis while completing postdoctoral training in drug abuse epidemiology and prevention. Dr. Merlo's research focuses primarily on psychosocial factors related to risk and resilience among substance-impaired healthcare professionals. She currently serves as the Director of Research for the UF Health Florida Recovery Center, as well as the Professionals Resource Network, which is the impaired professionals monitoring program for the State of Florida.
Lisa J. Merlo, PhD, MPE
University of Florida, USA
Impaired Healthcare Professionals
Psychosocial Risk Factors
Prescription Drug Abuse
Dr. Richard Gustin is trained in pharmacology at Vanderbilt University and University of Washington, Dr. Gustin has been involved in translational neuroscience research, utilizing animal models of human disease. By integrating molecular, cellular, and behavioral approaches, his research aimed to develop a better understanding of the manifestation of disease states, as well as identifying the therapeutic potential of compounds in preventing or reversing disease. Focusing on how different forms of stress could alter molecular mechanisms of learning and memory, and neuronal circuitry driving animal behaviors, he has developed a foundation of understanding for the mechanisms underlying addiction. His current role as a medical science liaison with Orexo US, Inc., as a patient advocate, providing scientific and medical education and support to a variety of health care entities, as well as helping to foster research collaboration to advance our understanding of addiction, supporting comprehensive health care for patients to promote long-term recovery.
Richard Gustin, PhD
Orexo, USA
Learning & Memory
Opioid Receptor Systems
Dr. Eric Braverman is the director of PATHMedical. He did his Honors in General Sciences from Brandeis University in 1979 and Honors in Physiology from NYU school of Medicine in 1983. He is the author for 130 papers in peer reviewed journals including JAMA, Molecular Psychiatry, Nature, and American Scientist. Dr. Baverman is the author of 3 best-selling books i.e. Younger You, The Edge Effect, Younger (Thinner) You. He is the Principle investigator with NYU on a study demonstrating the failure of BMI and the superiority of the DEXA scan and the value of leptin blood levels in measuring fitness and obesity.
Eric R. Braverman, MD
University of Florida, USA
Brain Performance and Nutrition Studies
Leptin Blood Levels
Dr Schoenthaler J. Schoenthaler received his MA in sociology from Syracuse University in 1975 and his PhD in sociology from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1980 with specializations in criminology and deviant behavior. He joined the faculty at California State University, Stanislaus in Turlock, California in 1982, developed its criminal justice major in 1983, was promoted to Associate Professor in 1985, and Professor in 1990. He was the 2nd Professor at Stanislaus to be awarded the "Outstanding Researcher and Creative Professor Award in 2001 and the Linus Pauling Ortho molecular Award for Outstanding Research the same year. These were due to his research on nutrition and human behavior that proceeded over three phases. From 1980 to 1984, he was the principal investigator in 14 open trials in 917 educational or correctional institutions. Each showed that when nutrition of children better matched the recommendations of the National Academy of Sciences Food and Nutrition Board for fruits, vegetables, and whole grains by limiting sweets and fats, academic success rose significantly and juvenile delinquency fell over 40% in New York, Virginia, Alabama, and California. In 1985, he led research teams in New York, California, Virginia and Oklahoma that conducted 7-day dietary analyses of incarcerated offenders and found that, in each state, those at high risk of being malnourished were significantly more likely to commit serious incidents such as assault and battery than those who were at low risk of being malnourished with differences reaching over 30%. His research also showed that malnutrition in correctional institutions was widespread due to many offenders avoiding essential food groups at meals or only consuming food from other sources. From 1986 until today, Professor Schoenthaler has been leading research teams in conducting parallel randomized controlled trials in Oklahoma, California, and Arizona on the effects of vitamins and minerals versus placebo on crime, delinquency, violence, verbal and non-verbal IQ, academic performance, brain function, and biochemical changes in blood among schoolchildren (elementary, junior high, and high school), incarcerated delinquents, and incarcerated adult felons. In each well-controlled randomized trial, participants in the correctional system given active tablets produced significantly less crime and delinquency (28 to 41%) and often normalized blood chemistry and brain function. Among schoolchildren on active tablets, school suspensions fell 47% more than controls while both non-verbal intelligence and academic performance rose significantly. Three English and Dutch research teams have successfully replicated these findings among both schoolchildren and confined felons. Professor Schoenthaler has created over 150 peer reviewed publications, grants, and/or professional publications.
Stephen J. Schoenthaler, PhD
California State University, USA
Biosocial Criminology
Brain Function
Dr. Thomas McLaughlin was born in Staten Island, NY and studied at St. Peter's Prep, a Jesuit high school, in Jersey City. He received his BA at St. Peter's College, with a major in Psychology and a minor in Philosophy. Dr. McLaughlin spent the following year as a Fulbright Scholar at the Johannes Gutenberg University, in Mainz, Germany. Following this, he received an NIMH Fellowship to study Clinical Psychology at Boston University, where he received his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees. Dr. McLaughlin doctoral dissertation involved the use of Feedback Electroencephalography to study Attention in Schizophrenic patients. Following these studies, he worked as a Clinical Psychologist for four years and, then, entered the New Jersey College of Medicine, from which he obtained my M.D. in 1980. Dr. McLaughlin internship was done at the Hackensack University Medical Center. Following this, he did a Neurology Residency at Boston University. After my neurological training, he entered the Psychiatry Residency Program at McLean Hospital, a Harvard Teaching Hospital, in Belmont MA, where he served as a Teaching Fellow as well. Since becoming separately Board-Certified in both Neurology and Psychiatry, he have practiced out-patient Psychiatry, while also carrying out rCBF/SPECT brain-imaging research at the laboratory of Professor Niels Lassen in Copenhagen.. Dr. Mclaughlin first became aware of "Reward Deficiency Syndrome" seven years ago and his clinical work has been informed by its findings and theory. Dr. McLaughlin currently applies it to the diagnosis and treatment of Tourette's syndrome, ADHD, and Substance-Dependent patients.
Thomas McLaughlin, MD
Center For Psychiatric Medicine, Massachusetts, USA
Tourette's Syndrome
Limbic Dis-Inhibition
Substance Dependence
Dr. Habibeh Khoshbouei's research is focused on the identification of novel mechanisms involved in psychostimulants regulation of dopamine transporter (DAT). The DAT is an integral membrane protein that is vital for regulation of dopamine neurotransmission in the brain. Work at Dr. Khoshbouei's laboratory is devoted to understanding the details of biophysical properties of DAT, its trafficking, the pharmacological modulation of the transporter by psychostimulants and how this is all integrated into the broader context of normal dopamine signaling and the pathogenesis of drug addiction, neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders.
Habibeh Khoshbouei, PhD
University of Florida, USA
Dopamine Signaling
Drug Addiction
Dopamine Signaling
Neurological and Neuropsychiatric Disorders
Cynthia Stuhlmiller, PhD, MS, BSN, RN, FAAN, is Professor of Rural Nursing at the University of New England School of Health, Armidale, Australia. She has been a clinical chair in mental health nursing since 1997 and has held academic appointments in California, Norway, New Zealand, Sydney, Adelaide, Hawaii and United Kingdom. Cynthia's clinical and research focus is in areas of traumatic stress, psychological therapies such as computer-aided CBT, action-based and PBL learning, clinical supervision, and health self-management. She is co-author of the New England Framework of Guided Self-health-- developed to address physical and psychological conditions including addiction. Cynthia is involved in a wide variety of local, national and international collaborative projects and leads a large grant supporting a student-led clinic in a rural indigenous community in New South Wales Australia.
Cynthia Stuhlmiller, RN, MS, DNSc
University of New England, Australia
Traumatic Stress
Psychological Therapies
Computer-Aided CBT
Action-Based and PBL Learning
Dr. Barry Tolchard has worked in the field of mental health for over 30 years and in problem gambling for 20 years as a researcher and clinician. Barry has an extensive record of gambling research including the development of a gambling screening tools and prevalence surveys. Barry has also carried out gambling research including suicide, mental health, treatment outcomes, general practitioners, gender, self-exclusion, and psychosocial aspects of gambling. Previously Barry has been a member of the expert panel on gambling treatment with the Gambling Commission, and a non-executive director of the Gordon Moody House gambling charity, UK. Barry was a founding member of the International Think Tank on Gambling.
Barry Tolchard, PhD
University of New England, Australia
Gambling Research
Suicide and Mental Health
Psychosocial Aspects of Gambling
Dr. Csaba Barta is currently an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Medical Chemistry, Molecular Biology and Pathobiochemisry at Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary. He joined the Laboratory of Molecular Genetics as a graduate medical student and later defended his Ph.D. theses on the analysis, genotyping and prenatal diagnosis of monogenic disorders. Earlier he implemented genetic screening of steroid 21-hydroxylase deficiency in Hungary and also applied it for the first prenatal diagnosis case of congenital adrenal hyperplasia in the country. He was also working on the detection of point mutations in the plasma cholinesterase (BCHE) gene in children with complications during anesthesia and in their families. Apart from these studies he was involved in our investigations concerning methodological advances in genotyping, as well. As a molecular geneticist his main research interest shifted to the field of psychiatric genetics. Since 2001 he has been responsible for genetic association studies of the dopamine and the serotonin systems in several clinical populations, such as substance dependence (mainly heroine, alcohol and nicotine), Tourette's syndrome, ADHD, etc. He is involved in a number of large international collaborations, eg. the European Network for the Study of Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome (COST Action BM0905) and TS-Eurotrain: Interdisciplinary training network for Tourette Syndrome (FP7-PEOPLE-2012-Marie Curie ITN), as well as the International Consortium on ADHD and Substance Abuse (ICASA). He also takes part in the biochemistry tutoring of medical students in the Hungarian, English and German programs of Semmelweis University.
Csaba Barta, MD, PhD
Semmelweis University, Hungary
Psychiatric Genetics
Substance Dependence
Tourette's Syndrome
Dr. James Fratantonio is the Manager of Applied Clinical Research and Education at Dominion Diagnostics. He received his Doctorate of Pharmacy from the University of Rhode Island where he is currently an adjunct professor and a preceptor to sixth year pharmacy students. Dr. Fratantonio has also developed an internship program with the University's pharmaceutical science program developing cytochrome P450 assays. At Dominion Diagnostics, Dr. Fratantonio presents continuing education programs around the United States. As a member of the organization's Addiction Advisory Board, he assists in the development and implementation of new clinical diagnostic tools for Dominion's clients.
James Fratantonio, Pharm. D
Dominion Diagnostics, USA
Psychoactive Substances
Therapeutic Compliance
Personalized Medicine
Dr. Lisa Marzilli holds a Doctorate of Pharmacy Degree with a sub-specialty in pharmacokinetic research, a Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy from the University of Rhode Island, and is a Certified Diabetes Educator. She has worked in the home infusion/oncology industry and in retail pharmacy, focusing primarily on outpatient educational services and wellness programs in disease-state-management. She is an adjunct professor at the University of Rhode Island, has taught numerous lecture series, has spoken at several National Symposiums on the topic of designer drugs, pharmacology, addiction science, and has been awarded multiple honors and distinctions. She is also a certified yoga teacher (RYT) and began her studies in 2002 at The White Lotus Foundation in Santa Barbara. She has continued her studies in both the philosophy and physical practice of yoga. Lisa teaches weekly classes in Providence and Peacedale, Rhode Island.
Lisa Marzilli, Pharm. D
Dominion Diagnostics, USA
Drug Metabolism
Designer Drugs
Validity Markers
Dr. Frederick Gerard Moeller completed his MD in 1985 from University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and in 1988 Internship & Residency in Psychiatry from University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Dr. Moeller also received fellowship in Clinical Psychopharmacology Research from University of California San Diego (1988-1990). Dr. Moeller's research group uses magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to study the neurobiology of behavior as a tool for medication development.
Frederick G. Moeller, MD
Virginia Commonwealth University, USA
Traumatic Brain Injury
Brain Imaging
Dr. Barry Setlow received his B.A. from Yale University and his PhD in Neurobiology and Behavior from the University of California, Irvine. After a post-doctoral fellowship at Johns Hopkins University, he started his own laboratory at Texas A&M University in 2004. Dr. Setlow moved to University of Florida in 2010, where he is currently an Associate Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry, Neuroscience, and Psychology. His research is funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and it seeks to understand the behavioral and brain mechanisms underlying predisposition to drug use, as well as the long-term consequences of drug use on cognitive and brain function. He has authored over 70 publications and serves on the editorial boards of numerous professional journals.
Barry Setlow, PhD
University of Florida College of Medicine, USA
Dr. Adriaan Bruijnzeel is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Florida. He received his PhD in Neuroscience from Utrecht University (The Netherlands) and then did a postdoc in the Department of Neuropharmacology at the Scripps Research Institute in San Diego (USA). The Bruijnzeel-lab is located in the McKnight Brain Institute at the University of Florida and studies the neurobiology underlying nicotine, alcohol, and cannabis dependence. Our research suggests that a dysregulation of brain stress systems contributes to the brain reward deficit associated with drug withdrawal and stress-induced reinstatement of drug seeking. The studies point to a critical role of stress peptides such as corticotropin-releasing factor, alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH), and vasopressin in nicotine withdrawal and relapse. In addition to this, our laboratory has investigated the effects of tobacco smoke, opioids, and alcohol on brain reward function and characterized the behavioral effects of tobacco and cannabis smoke. Dr. Bruijnzeel has received grant support from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Flight Attendant Medical Research Institute (FAMRI), and the James and Esther King Biomedical Research Program. He has served as grant reviewer for the NIH, Italian Ministry of Health, National Science Center (Poland), Canadian Tobacco Control Research Initiative, Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research (Canada), Canadian Institutes of Health Research (Canada), and the Medical Research Council (United Kingdom).
Adriaan W. Bruijnzeel, PhD
University of Florida, USA
Cannabis Withdrawal
Drug-Self Administration
Stress-Induced Reinstatement
AAV Vectors
Bernard William (Bill) Downs
Victory Nutrition International Inc., USA
Biological Chemistry
Behavioral Biology
RDS Spectrum Disorders
Chronic Degenerative Diseases
Dr. Claudia Fahlke is a professor of psychology and licensed psychologist at the Department of Psychology, University of Gothenburg in Sweden. She became the department's first female professor and is the one who has established the scientific field of psychology of addiction in Sweden. Her own research focuses on psychological and neurobiological factors underlying the aetiology of substance use disorders and factors that may contribute to relapse proneness. She has also conducted research abroad as visiting scientist at the National Public Health Institute in Finland and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism in USA. She leads today a successful research group and has published a large amount of scientific articles as well as books on this theme.
Claudia Fahlke, PhD
University of Gothenburg, Sweden
Risk Factors
Relapse Proneness
Dr. Valerie Voon is an Honorary Consultant Psychiatrist and Wellcome Trust Fellow at the University of Cambridge. She completed her medical degree at the University of Toronto, Canada. She has a PhD in neuroscience from University College London focusing on dopamine-agonist related behavioural addictions in Parkinson's disease and completed a movement disorders research fellowship at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health. She is a Fellow of the American Neuropsychiatric Association. Her research focuses on intermediate cognitive endophenotypes particularly on impulsivity, compulsivity and motivation that mediate between brain networks and behavioural expression. She uses multimodal techniques including anatomical and functional imaging, pharmacological challenges, cognitive paradigms, computational modeling, and neuromodulation within both healthy populations and disorders of addiction.
Valerie Voon, MD, PhD
University of Cambridge, UK
Alcohol Misuse
Behavioural Addictions
Dr. Carolyn Coker Ross is Director of the Eating Disorder Program at The Recovery Village – Palmer Lake, a subsidiary of Advanced Recovery Systems. Dr. Ross received her bachelor's degree from Purdue University with a major in Modern Foreign Languages and Master's in Public Health from Loma Linda University in International Health. She is Board Certified in Preventive Medicine, completing the residency program at Loma Linda University Medical Center and Board Certified (by examination) in Addiction Medicine. Dr. Ross began her medical career working in emergency medicine and later went into primary care, with a focus on the treatment of women. She served as the Chief of the eating disorders program at the renowned inpatient treatment center, Sierra Tucson, where she developed a unique integrative medicine approach to treating patients with eating disorders, alcohol and drug dependence and mood disorders. Dr. Ross has worked as a consultant for the dual diagnosis eating disorder and chemical dependency programs at The Ranch, a treatment center near Nashville, Tennessee from November 2008-October, 2012. She is the developer of The Anchor Weight Management System™ which is a home-study course that offers an integrative approach to treating obesity and a certification program for health care professionals.
Carolyn Coker Ross, MD, MPH
The Recovery Village at Palmer Lake - a subsidiary of Advanced Recovery Systems, USA
Eating Disorders
Integrative Medicine
Alcohol and Drug Dependence
Mood Disorders
Dr. Yen Kuang Yang graduated from Kaohsiung Medical University, and received his psychiatry residency training in National Taiwan University Hospital and National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) Hospital. After completing the training and acquired board certified psychiatry qualification, he served as a consultant responsibility for psychiatric acute wards, clinical drug trials, clinic for substance abuse, home care services, day care treatment and psychiatric community rehabilitation program at National Cheng Kung University Hospital. He is now the deputy superintendent National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Dou-Liu Branch. He also maintained a teaching post at College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University as a distinguished professor. Dr Yang's main clinical and academic interests include neuroimaging, social medicine, biological psychiatry and behavioral medicine. In 2000 he worked as a visiting fellow in Duke University for Psychiatry, NC, USA, where he had trainings in biological psychiatry and program of clinical drug trial. Currently, he has reviewed articles for many international journals and published more than 200 peer-reviewed papers. He is now the associate editor of the Taiwanese Journal of Psychiatry and the associate editor of the Clinical Psychopharmacology and Neuroscience.
Yen Kuang Yang, MD
National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan
Dr. Shih-Hsien Lin is the research fellow at the department of psychiatry, National Cheng Kung University, in Tainan, Taiwan. As a medical scientist, he spent years to study the underlying biological and psychological mechanism of opioid dependence in the methadone maintenance therapy clinic in the university hospital. He also conducted some functional MRI studies on hot cognition among adult with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Dr. Lin is specialized at discovering the association between biological factors and psychosocial functions, which involved in psychiatric disorders. In several studies, he used the single-photon emission computed tomography and fcuntional MRI to probe the dopamine transporter availability, and brain activity in reward circuit. Recently, he is studying on nicotine use disorder and other behavior addiction.
Shih-Hsien Lin, MD
National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Taiwan
Substance Use Disorder (SUD)
Behavioral Addiction
Hot Cognition
Dr. San-Yuan Huang is the president of Taiwanese society of addiction science (TSAS). He is also a professor in Psychiatry at National Defense Medical Center, and the Director of the Department of Psychiatry at the Tri-Service General Hospital. He is active in addiction services, particularly in the rehabilitation of addictive patients and promotion of mental health in the addiction.
San-Yuan Huang, PhD, MD
Tri-Service General Hospital, Taiwan
Brain Image
Neuropsychiatry and Genetics


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An Apartment That Finds New Life in Old Things
Lance Flores was born on a military base in Germany, but lived out much of his childhood in Colorado until finding his way to Kansas City, MO seven years ago to complete his graphic design degree at the Kansas City Art Institute. He found the city inviting and fell in love with the friendly, West Plaza neighborhood where he has lived ever since. Lance works as an Art Director at Baldwin, a local clothing and lifestyle brand, and takes on frequent freelance photography, design and mural commissions.
A few years after graduating, Lance felt like he needed a change and began looking for a new apartment. "I was living by myself at the time, in this apartment that had a lot of old world character, but lacked basic first world essentials like central heating and a legit air conditioner. I used to switch my bedroom based on the season because one room had a ceiling fan and the other had a heater." He found a reasonably priced space with two large bedrooms in the same neighborhood and acquired a roommate along the way. "I actually moved a block away from my old apartment. It was so close that it was more convenient to walk a few of my large canvases down to my new apartment rather than pack them in a truck." The space boasts a scenic view of the Country Club Plaza, green trees and a guaranteed sunrise that fills the rooms with a warm glow every morning.
In true designer form, Lance started his decorative process with a mood board, combining ideas that he found inspiring. He admits, "then the reality set in and I realized I had to work with what I've got." Lance discovered a love of breathing new life into old things by using what he already had or collecting found objects to fill his new surroundings. As an introvert, his goal is to create a space that speaks volumes about who he is, without having to spell it out. Each item has its own story to tell and is carefully curated to reflect his journey. "One of my side tables is from my time as a barista at Starbucks and a piece of hanging art is actually large fragments of peeled paint from the very first mural I worked on for the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Kansas City." Lance jokes that he tends to be impatient while hanging artwork. "Behind a few of these hanging pieces exists more than one hole in the wall from attempting to hang without measuring." Due to his rental agreement, Lance is unable to change the paint color, but he has worked with the existing beige walls and carpet by layering in thoughtful artwork and inspirational objects that he has discovered. "I feel like my living space is always changing and being tweaked. My likes and dislikes change often and I get bored of seeing the same things, so I'm often moving something or trying a different arrangement. That's the blessing and the curse of being creative, I guess."—Bethany
Photography by Lance Flores

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Sour Cream |
Honey Chocolate |
Mocha Spice |
Chocolate Cupcake |
Chocolate Dump Cake |
Chocolate Zucchini |
Chocolate Bundt
Chocolate Cake Recipes are here for you to prepare and enjoy. Chocolate cake is deliciously tempting and satisfying to the taste buds of any chocolate lover (Doesn't the very mention of chocolate cake make your mouth water?)
Whats just as important is the fact that baking at home means that you make sure the ingredients are not only fresh and healthy but suit the tastes of your own family and friends. Have a try at one of our chocolate cake recipes and see for yourself.
Cake is the perfect dessert for any occasion or a tasty offering for a friend who just stops by to visit. Our basic Ganache recipe (go to the Frostings page!) is an easy enough topping to make for an every day dessert or fancy enough for a special celebration.
Well, here we have the direct links to all our Chocolate Cake Recipes so check them out right now...
Sour Cream Chocolate Cake Recipe HERE!
Honey Chocolate Cake Recipe HERE!
Mocha Spice Cake Recipe HERE!
Chocolate Cupcake Recipe with Hershey Kisses and Devil's Food Cake Mix
Chocolate Dump Cake Recipe HERE!
Chocolate Zucchini Cake Recipe HERE!
Chocolate Bundt Cake Recipe HERE!
Chocolate cake is great for birthday parties, retirement parties, teas, spa nights, weddings, and much more.
There are numerous types of chocolate cakes too, which means you can find a style and taste of cake that fits your personality and occasion. Consider a layer cake for a fancier celebration. A sheet cake is perfect for a more informal event.
Cupcakes are great finger foods for a child's birthday party, cookout, or bridal shower.
Enjoy this irresistible collection of cake recipes. We hope you'll find a few (or several) that will become your favorites!
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