Vaughn R Steele, PhD

Dr. Steele is an addiction neuroscientist committed to developing treatments for individuals who suffer from substance use disorders (SUDs). Currently, his lab targets dysregulated circuits in SUD with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to elicit neuroplastic change. The goal is to identify malleable circuits that, with chronic treatment, could lead to positive long-term outcomes treating SUDs. Acute and chronic neuroplasticity is assessed with both electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

Dr. Steele earned a Ph. D. in psychology with an emphasis in cognitive and biological psychology from the University of Minnesota in 2011. He completed two post-doctoral fellowships at the Mind Research Network (2011-2015; Albuquerque, NM) and the National Institute of Drug Abuse (2015-2019 Baltimore, MD). As of January 2020, he joined the Department of Psychiatry of the School of Medicine at Yale University as an Assistant Professor. He is affiliated with Hartford Hospital and Hartford Healthcare with his primary lab located on the campus of the Institute of Living in the Olin Neuropsychiatry Research Center.