Rutgers Addiction Research Center
@rutgersarc.bsky.social
The RARC at the Brain Health Institute brings together researchers, clinicians, and community members dedicated to tackling addiction.
Could ovarian hormones influence how addiction vulnerability changes over time? New RARC work from Francesca LoFaro & Anna Konova proposes a framework linking estradiol and progesterone with reward, learning and decision-making processes.
https://loom.ly/iAadg_U
https://loom.ly/iAadg_U
Could Ovarian Hormones Help Explain Shifts in Addiction Vulnerability?
RARC Research Spotlight
www.addiction.rutgers.edu
September 9, 2026 at 1:56 PM
Could ovarian hormones influence how addiction vulnerability changes over time? New RARC work from Francesca LoFaro & Anna Konova proposes a framework linking estradiol and progesterone with reward, learning and decision-making processes.
https://loom.ly/iAadg_U
https://loom.ly/iAadg_U
📢 Call for Papers: A new Frontiers in Neuroscience special issue, co-edited by RARC member David Barker, PhD, is seeking research on hypothalamic circuits in motivation, reward, addiction & compulsion.
Learn more: https://loom.ly/CgXpUKE
Learn more: https://loom.ly/CgXpUKE
Frontiers | The hypothalamus as a hub for motivation, reward, and compulsion
The hypothalamus has traditionally been viewed as a regulator of homeostatic functions and survival behaviors. Evidence now identifies the hypothalamus, with...
www.frontiersin.org
September 8, 2026 at 2:17 PM
📢 Call for Papers: A new Frontiers in Neuroscience special issue, co-edited by RARC member David Barker, PhD, is seeking research on hypothalamic circuits in motivation, reward, addiction & compulsion.
Learn more: https://loom.ly/CgXpUKE
Learn more: https://loom.ly/CgXpUKE
Join us for the first meeting of the RARC College Substance Use Special Interest Group!
📅 Wednesday, September 9 | 2–3 p.m. | Virtual
Learn more: https://loom.ly/jHHuZps
📅 Wednesday, September 9 | 2–3 p.m. | Virtual
Learn more: https://loom.ly/jHHuZps
September 3, 2026 at 5:04 PM
Join us for the first meeting of the RARC College Substance Use Special Interest Group!
📅 Wednesday, September 9 | 2–3 p.m. | Virtual
Learn more: https://loom.ly/jHHuZps
📅 Wednesday, September 9 | 2–3 p.m. | Virtual
Learn more: https://loom.ly/jHHuZps
A new #RARC #ResearchSpotlight examines how motives for alcohol and cannabis use can shift from day to day among college students. Days with many overlapping motives were linked to some of the highest use, co-use, and negative consequences. Read the full research spotlight: https://loom.ly/Kp-0eDI
Why Young Adults Use Alcohol and Cannabis May Change From Day to Day
Rutgers Addiction Research Center
www.addiction.rutgers.edu
September 2, 2026 at 6:12 PM
A new #RARC #ResearchSpotlight examines how motives for alcohol and cannabis use can shift from day to day among college students. Days with many overlapping motives were linked to some of the highest use, co-use, and negative consequences. Read the full research spotlight: https://loom.ly/Kp-0eDI
A recent article on today’s online gambling landscape references earlier work by Lia Nower, Director of the Center for Gambling Studies, and fellow researchers—highlighting why transparent, responsible information matters.
Read more: https://loom.ly/WXWZCZg
#GamblingResearch #AddictionResearch
Read more: https://loom.ly/WXWZCZg
#GamblingResearch #AddictionResearch
A Look at GamblingSites & its Role in Player Education
Optimal decision-making depends, among other factors, on the availability of reliable, comprehensive information. Gambling researchers Alex Blaszczynski...
affpapa.com
September 1, 2026 at 2:07 PM
A recent article on today’s online gambling landscape references earlier work by Lia Nower, Director of the Center for Gambling Studies, and fellow researchers—highlighting why transparent, responsible information matters.
Read more: https://loom.ly/WXWZCZg
#GamblingResearch #AddictionResearch
Read more: https://loom.ly/WXWZCZg
#GamblingResearch #AddictionResearch
Today, on #IOAD2026, we’re highlighting a free Rutgers resource: virtual naloxone training offered 7x/month for adults who live, work, or attend school in NJ. Eligible participants also receive a free Narcan kit.
Learn more: https://loom.ly/8TJrlNA
#OverdoseAware #EndOverdose #Naloxone
Learn more: https://loom.ly/8TJrlNA
#OverdoseAware #EndOverdose #Naloxone
Home - OOPN
Rutgers Health
sites.rutgers.edu
August 31, 2026 at 3:43 PM
Today, on #IOAD2026, we’re highlighting a free Rutgers resource: virtual naloxone training offered 7x/month for adults who live, work, or attend school in NJ. Eligible participants also receive a free Narcan kit.
Learn more: https://loom.ly/8TJrlNA
#OverdoseAware #EndOverdose #Naloxone
Learn more: https://loom.ly/8TJrlNA
#OverdoseAware #EndOverdose #Naloxone
Join TARP on Sept. 1 at 1 p.m. for a hybrid seminar featuring Leslie Ramsey, PhD, and Marco Venniro, PhD, discussing drug and social learning and the role of social connection in addiction neuroscience.
Learn more: https://loom.ly/gAdRxLA
Learn more: https://loom.ly/gAdRxLA
August 27, 2026 at 2:38 PM
Join TARP on Sept. 1 at 1 p.m. for a hybrid seminar featuring Leslie Ramsey, PhD, and Marco Venniro, PhD, discussing drug and social learning and the role of social connection in addiction neuroscience.
Learn more: https://loom.ly/gAdRxLA
Learn more: https://loom.ly/gAdRxLA
New RARC research featuring Nina Cooperman examines whether the capacity to experience love and empathy is associated with opioid use among adults receiving methadone treatment.
Read more: https://loom.ly/EXWM65Y
Read more: https://loom.ly/EXWM65Y
Love, Empathy, and Recovery: New Insights into Opioid Use Disorder
addiction.rutgers.edu
www.addiction.rutgers.edu
August 26, 2026 at 2:37 PM
New RARC research featuring Nina Cooperman examines whether the capacity to experience love and empathy is associated with opioid use among adults receiving methadone treatment.
Read more: https://loom.ly/EXWM65Y
Read more: https://loom.ly/EXWM65Y
AI can help point people toward resources—but it can’t replace individualized medical assessment. Rutgers’ Diane Calello explains why Poison Control remains essential for medication errors, overdoses, drug/alcohol interactions, cannabis exposures & more.
Read more: https://loom.ly/ykEL3ko
Read more: https://loom.ly/ykEL3ko
Even AI Knows Its Limits: Why Poison Centers Still Matter
Rutgers Today
www.rutgers.edu
August 25, 2026 at 2:41 PM
AI can help point people toward resources—but it can’t replace individualized medical assessment. Rutgers’ Diane Calello explains why Poison Control remains essential for medication errors, overdoses, drug/alcohol interactions, cannabis exposures & more.
Read more: https://loom.ly/ykEL3ko
Read more: https://loom.ly/ykEL3ko
Sports betting and investing are increasingly overlapping. In a recent Inc. article, Rutgers’ Lia Nower discusses why some sports fans may view betting as investing—and the financial risks that can follow.
Read more: https://loom.ly/HTdZ39k
Read more: https://loom.ly/HTdZ39k
August 24, 2026 at 3:49 PM
Sports betting and investing are increasingly overlapping. In a recent Inc. article, Rutgers’ Lia Nower discusses why some sports fans may view betting as investing—and the financial risks that can follow.
Read more: https://loom.ly/HTdZ39k
Read more: https://loom.ly/HTdZ39k
Join TARP on Sept. 1 at 1 p.m. for a hybrid seminar featuring Leslie Ramsey, PhD, and Marco Venniro, PhD, discussing drug and social learning and the role of social connection in addiction neuroscience.
Learn more: https://loom.ly/gAdRxLA
Learn more: https://loom.ly/gAdRxLA
August 20, 2026 at 3:16 PM
Join TARP on Sept. 1 at 1 p.m. for a hybrid seminar featuring Leslie Ramsey, PhD, and Marco Venniro, PhD, discussing drug and social learning and the role of social connection in addiction neuroscience.
Learn more: https://loom.ly/gAdRxLA
Learn more: https://loom.ly/gAdRxLA
RARC Fall Symposium – September 16 📣 This year’s symposium will feature keynote speaker Yasmin Hurd, Director of the Addiction Institute at Mount Sinai. Join us as we celebrate 5 years of RARC & explore how addiction research at Rutgers is advancing toward real-world impact: https://loom.ly/FSuLFRY
2026 RARC Fall Symposium - Rutgers Addiction Research Center (RARC)
Join us for the 2026 RARC Fall Symposium as we celebrate the five-year anniversary of the Rutgers Addiction Research Center. Join …
www.addiction.rutgers.edu
August 19, 2026 at 4:13 PM
RARC Fall Symposium – September 16 📣 This year’s symposium will feature keynote speaker Yasmin Hurd, Director of the Addiction Institute at Mount Sinai. Join us as we celebrate 5 years of RARC & explore how addiction research at Rutgers is advancing toward real-world impact: https://loom.ly/FSuLFRY
A new RARC blog highlights research co-authored by Tammy Chung examining how day-to-day responses to alcohol-related cues may relate to drinking risk in young adults. Faster-than-usual responses were linked to greater desire to get drunk and heavier drinking that same day: https://loom.ly/_4DS3Tw
When Alcohol Cues Feel More Relevant, Drinking Risk May Rise the Same Day - Rutgers Addiction Research Center (RARC)
Why do some days bring a stronger urge to drink than others? A new study co-authored by Tammy Chung, a …
www.addiction.rutgers.edu
August 18, 2026 at 2:44 PM
A new RARC blog highlights research co-authored by Tammy Chung examining how day-to-day responses to alcohol-related cues may relate to drinking risk in young adults. Faster-than-usual responses were linked to greater desire to get drunk and heavier drinking that same day: https://loom.ly/_4DS3Tw
Heading back to campus? The NJ Poison Control Center warns that mixing energy drinks with alcohol can create a false sense of sobriety and increase the risk of overdrinking, injury, and alcohol poisoning.
Learn more: https://loom.ly/qfCA0P4
Learn more: https://loom.ly/qfCA0P4
A Back-to-Campus Warning: Energy Drinks Can Hide the Dangerous Effects of Alcohol
Rutgers Today
www.rutgers.edu
August 17, 2026 at 2:06 PM
Heading back to campus? The NJ Poison Control Center warns that mixing energy drinks with alcohol can create a false sense of sobriety and increase the risk of overdrinking, injury, and alcohol poisoning.
Learn more: https://loom.ly/qfCA0P4
Learn more: https://loom.ly/qfCA0P4
NIH Fellowship Writing Group 📣 PhD/MD-PhD students and postdocs preparing NRSA applications can get grant-writing guidance, peer review, and application support this fall.
Tuesdays at 12 p.m. ET starting Sept. 15
Sign up by Aug. 25:https://loom.ly/zQpzqCE
Tuesdays at 12 p.m. ET starting Sept. 15
Sign up by Aug. 25:https://loom.ly/zQpzqCE
2026 NIH Fellowship Writing Group
Please click the link to complete this form.
form.jotform.com
August 13, 2026 at 1:43 PM
NIH Fellowship Writing Group 📣 PhD/MD-PhD students and postdocs preparing NRSA applications can get grant-writing guidance, peer review, and application support this fall.
Tuesdays at 12 p.m. ET starting Sept. 15
Sign up by Aug. 25:https://loom.ly/zQpzqCE
Tuesdays at 12 p.m. ET starting Sept. 15
Sign up by Aug. 25:https://loom.ly/zQpzqCE
New national data show declines in alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drug use among young Americans.
Rutgers researcher Denise Hien spoke with ABC News about what may be driving the trend—and how vaping and cannabis use may be reshaping youth substance use.
🔗 https://loom.ly/AV9JrxA
Rutgers researcher Denise Hien spoke with ABC News about what may be driving the trend—and how vaping and cannabis use may be reshaping youth substance use.
🔗 https://loom.ly/AV9JrxA
Why alcohol and drug use may be declining among young Americans
New federal data shows that alcohol, cigarette and some drug use is declining among American youth and young adults. Public health specialists explain why.
abcnews.com
August 11, 2026 at 1:39 PM
New national data show declines in alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drug use among young Americans.
Rutgers researcher Denise Hien spoke with ABC News about what may be driving the trend—and how vaping and cannabis use may be reshaping youth substance use.
🔗 https://loom.ly/AV9JrxA
Rutgers researcher Denise Hien spoke with ABC News about what may be driving the trend—and how vaping and cannabis use may be reshaping youth substance use.
🔗 https://loom.ly/AV9JrxA
How might traumatic fear memories influence later cocaine use?
RARC/BHI researcher Chris Pierce and colleagues found that prior fear conditioning increased cocaine intake in male rats and altered activity in the amygdala.
Read more: https://loom.ly/sV5U2dQ
RARC/BHI researcher Chris Pierce and colleagues found that prior fear conditioning increased cocaine intake in male rats and altered activity in the amygdala.
Read more: https://loom.ly/sV5U2dQ
August 10, 2026 at 2:35 PM
How might traumatic fear memories influence later cocaine use?
RARC/BHI researcher Chris Pierce and colleagues found that prior fear conditioning increased cocaine intake in male rats and altered activity in the amygdala.
Read more: https://loom.ly/sV5U2dQ
RARC/BHI researcher Chris Pierce and colleagues found that prior fear conditioning increased cocaine intake in male rats and altered activity in the amygdala.
Read more: https://loom.ly/sV5U2dQ
Early-career addiction researchers: Apply for a travel award to attend the 2026 NIDA–NIAAA Frontiers in Addiction Research Mini-Convention and present at the Early Career Investigator Showcase Symposium on Nov. 13.
Application deadline: Friday, August 14, 2026
Learn more: https://loom.ly/ouND5N0
Application deadline: Friday, August 14, 2026
Learn more: https://loom.ly/ouND5N0
August 7, 2026 at 4:24 PM
Early-career addiction researchers: Apply for a travel award to attend the 2026 NIDA–NIAAA Frontiers in Addiction Research Mini-Convention and present at the Early Career Investigator Showcase Symposium on Nov. 13.
Application deadline: Friday, August 14, 2026
Learn more: https://loom.ly/ouND5N0
Application deadline: Friday, August 14, 2026
Learn more: https://loom.ly/ouND5N0
Dr. Lia Nower was quoted in The Guardian on concerns that prediction markets like Kalshi may operate without the consumer protections and safeguards required of licensed gambling platforms, potentially increasing exposure & problem gambling risk. Read more: loom.ly/l9OpL6g
#RutgersResearch
#RutgersResearch
New York sues Kalshi prediction market alleging ‘illegal gambling operation’
Calling it an ‘illegal, unlicensed gambling operation’, state seeks to halt Kalshi’s operations and force it to forfeit profits
loom.ly
August 6, 2026 at 2:21 PM
Dr. Lia Nower was quoted in The Guardian on concerns that prediction markets like Kalshi may operate without the consumer protections and safeguards required of licensed gambling platforms, potentially increasing exposure & problem gambling risk. Read more: loom.ly/l9OpL6g
#RutgersResearch
#RutgersResearch
Final call: Abstracts for the 2026 RARC Fall Symposium are due this Friday, August 7 📣
Rutgers faculty, staff, and trainees may submit posters, and trainees can request consideration for a brief oral presentation. Submit: https://loom.ly/RbxEwxg
#RARC2026 #AddictionResearch #RutgersResearch
Rutgers faculty, staff, and trainees may submit posters, and trainees can request consideration for a brief oral presentation. Submit: https://loom.ly/RbxEwxg
#RARC2026 #AddictionResearch #RutgersResearch
Call for Abstracts: Present at the 2026 RARC Fall Symposium - Rutgers Addiction Research Center (RARC)
RARC is now accepting abstract submissions for poster presentations and oral presentations at the 2026 RARC Fall Symposium on Wednesday, …
www.addiction.rutgers.edu
August 5, 2026 at 2:20 PM
Final call: Abstracts for the 2026 RARC Fall Symposium are due this Friday, August 7 📣
Rutgers faculty, staff, and trainees may submit posters, and trainees can request consideration for a brief oral presentation. Submit: https://loom.ly/RbxEwxg
#RARC2026 #AddictionResearch #RutgersResearch
Rutgers faculty, staff, and trainees may submit posters, and trainees can request consideration for a brief oral presentation. Submit: https://loom.ly/RbxEwxg
#RARC2026 #AddictionResearch #RutgersResearch
A new preclinical study involving RARC researcher Dr. Jenny Wilkerson found that purified mitragynine reduced methamphetamine self-administration in rats without reducing motivation for food. The findings are an early research lead, not support for self-treating with kratom: https://loom.ly/uDGC-Ec
Could a Kratom Compound Reduce Methamphetamine-Seeking Behavior? - Rutgers Addiction Research Center (RARC)
Methamphetamine use disorder remains difficult to treat. Behavioral approaches such as contingency management can be effective, but there are currently …
www.addiction.rutgers.edu
August 4, 2026 at 2:37 PM
A new preclinical study involving RARC researcher Dr. Jenny Wilkerson found that purified mitragynine reduced methamphetamine self-administration in rats without reducing motivation for food. The findings are an early research lead, not support for self-treating with kratom: https://loom.ly/uDGC-Ec
Free opioid overdose prevention and naloxone trainings are available virtually and in person through @rwjms.bsky.social OOPN. Eligible participants receive a free naloxone kit upon completion. Learn more or request a training: https://loom.ly/8TJrlNA
Free Opioid Overdose Prevention and Naloxone Administration Trainings
OOPN
sites.rutgers.edu
August 3, 2026 at 3:03 PM
Free opioid overdose prevention and naloxone trainings are available virtually and in person through @rwjms.bsky.social OOPN. Eligible participants receive a free naloxone kit upon completion. Learn more or request a training: https://loom.ly/8TJrlNA
📣 Reminder: Abstracts for the 2026 RARC Fall Symposium are due Friday, Aug. 7!
Rutgers faculty, staff, and trainees may submit posters, and trainees can request consideration for a brief oral presentation. Learn more:https://loom.ly/RbxEwxg
Rutgers faculty, staff, and trainees may submit posters, and trainees can request consideration for a brief oral presentation. Learn more:https://loom.ly/RbxEwxg
Call for Abstracts: Present at the 2026 RARC Fall Symposium - Rutgers Addiction Research Center (RARC)
RARC is now accepting abstract submissions for poster presentations and oral presentations at the 2026 RARC Fall Symposium on Wednesday, …
www.addiction.rutgers.edu
July 30, 2026 at 5:09 PM
📣 Reminder: Abstracts for the 2026 RARC Fall Symposium are due Friday, Aug. 7!
Rutgers faculty, staff, and trainees may submit posters, and trainees can request consideration for a brief oral presentation. Learn more:https://loom.ly/RbxEwxg
Rutgers faculty, staff, and trainees may submit posters, and trainees can request consideration for a brief oral presentation. Learn more:https://loom.ly/RbxEwxg
Mark your calendars and join the NIDA Summer Seminar Series, hosted virtually every Wednesday throughout the month of July from 1:00-2:00pm ET.
Wednesday, July 29: Your Phone Knows More Than You Think: Using Digital Data to Understand SUD Behavior
Learn more: https://loom.ly/7s8bl3Y
Wednesday, July 29: Your Phone Knows More Than You Think: Using Digital Data to Understand SUD Behavior
Learn more: https://loom.ly/7s8bl3Y
2026 NIDA Summer Seminar Series - “Your Phone Knows More Than You Think: Using Digital Data to Understand SUD Behavior” - Rutgers Addiction Research Center (RARC)
National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institutes on Drug Abuse (NIDA), for the virtual “Summer Seminar Series” every Wednesday throughout …
addiction.rutgers.edu
July 29, 2026 at 1:05 PM
Mark your calendars and join the NIDA Summer Seminar Series, hosted virtually every Wednesday throughout the month of July from 1:00-2:00pm ET.
Wednesday, July 29: Your Phone Knows More Than You Think: Using Digital Data to Understand SUD Behavior
Learn more: https://loom.ly/7s8bl3Y
Wednesday, July 29: Your Phone Knows More Than You Think: Using Digital Data to Understand SUD Behavior
Learn more: https://loom.ly/7s8bl3Y
Dr. Lia Nower, Director of the Rutgers Center for Gambling Studies was featured in a recent New York Times opinion article on young people’s growing exposure to gambling and the need for stronger research, prevention, education, and treatment efforts: https://loom.ly/lC-9GW4
#AddictionResearch
#AddictionResearch
We’re Getting America’s Children Hooked on Gambling
nytimes.com
www.nytimes.com
July 28, 2026 at 2:34 PM
Dr. Lia Nower, Director of the Rutgers Center for Gambling Studies was featured in a recent New York Times opinion article on young people’s growing exposure to gambling and the need for stronger research, prevention, education, and treatment efforts: https://loom.ly/lC-9GW4
#AddictionResearch
#AddictionResearch