Substance use disorders are a major public health problem in the United States and worldwide, accidental drug overdose deaths have skyrocketed in recent years, and the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated these negative health impacts. In addition to hindering an individual’s ability to live a healthy, productive life, drug use also increases the incidence of infectious diseases such as HIV and hepatitis. The biological basis for addiction is not completely understood and effective treatments for substance use disorders are limited.

The mission of the Center for Substance Abuse Research (CSAR) is to carry out research to better elucidate the biological basis of addictive diseases and other effects of drugs of abuse that result in altered states of biological function. Knowledge gained about these drugs and the endogenous pathways they impact is key to identifying and developing tactics to prevent and successfully treat substance use disorder, as well as to alleviate human suffering by ameliorating pain, inflammation, and the medical and societal consequences of drug use. As a result of this research, potential new therapeutics for the treatment of substance use disorders and pain are under investigation by CSAR investigators.

Over thirty faculty members with primary academic appointments in 11 different departments of the School of Medicine, School of Pharmacy and College of Liberal Arts have secondary appointments in CSAR, where investigators use multidisciplinary approaches to research questions of importance in the field.