RIA fall seminars explore neuroscience of addiction, PTSD, addiction treatment and adolescent alcohol use

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Fall Seminar Series at the University at Buffalo Research Institute on Addictions will feature national experts on the neuroscience of addiction, PTSD, addiction treatment and adolescent alcohol use.

The four-part seminar series is free and open to the public. All seminars take place on Fridays at 10 a.m. on the first floor of RIA at 1021 Main St. on UB’s Downtown Campus.

The Fall Seminar Series kicks off Sept. 8 with a talk by Peter W. Kalivas, PhD, on “Using Tetra Partite Synaptic Plasticity to Treat Addiction.” Kalivas is professor and chair of the Department of Neurosciences at the Medical University of South Carolina. His research explores the brain molecules and circuits that underlie addiction, with his research lab conducting studies on the neuroplasticity underlying the development of addiction to drugs of abuse, as well as the learning and memory deficits associated with poor rearing environments.

On Sept. 22, Meghan McDevitt-Murphy, PhD, will discuss “Beyond Self-Medication: Exploring Comorbidity between PTSD and Substance Misuse.” McDevitt-Murphy is an associate professor of psychology at the University of Memphis. Her research focuses on the co-occurrence of PTSD and substance misuse. She has conducted studies to develop interventions for hazardous drinking among veterans and has explored PTSD and substance misuse in both veteran and non-veteran samples. She is a Fellow in the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies.

The series continues on Oct. 6 with a talk by Richard Saitz, MD, MPH, on “Integrating Unhealthy Alcohol and Other Drug Use and General Health Care: When Best Laid Plans Go Awry.” Saitz is chair and professor of community health sciences at the Boston University School of Public Health and professor of medicine at BU School of Medicine. His primary areas of expertise include chronic care management and integrated care for unhealthy substance use and other mental health conditions, and integrating substance-related and general health care. He is a Fellow in the American College of Physicians and a Distinguished Fellow in the American Society of Addiction Medicine.

The Fall Seminar Series concludes on Nov. 3 with a discussion by Karen Farchaus Stein, PhD, RN, on “Who Am I: Current and Future-Oriented Identities as Determinants of Adolescent and Young Adult Alcohol Use.” Farchaus Stein is the Brody Endowed Professor at the University of Rochester School of Nursing. Stein’s research addresses health risk behaviors in adolescent and young adult females and focuses on individual differences in identity development as a determinant of these behaviors. She is a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing.

For more information about RIA’s Fall Seminar Series, contact Kathleen Parks, PhD, at 716-887-3301 or visit http://www.buffalo.edu/ria/news_events/seminars.html.

RIA is a research center of the University at Buffalo and a national leader in the study of alcohol and substance abuse issues. RIA’s research programs, most of which have multiple-year funding, are supported by federal, state and private foundation grants. Located on UB’s Downtown Campus, RIA is a member of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus and a key contributor to UB’s reputation for research excellence. To learn more, visit buffalo.edu/ria.