Li Yan McCurdy, PhD
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Assistant Professor
Biography
Dr. McCurdy is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine. Her program of research is centered on facilitating addiction recovery through empowerment and social connection. She has been involved in the development and evaluation of scalable digital interventions for addiction, including her social support intervention designed to support individuals in early addiction recovery by increasing engagement with recovery community resources.
Dr. McCurdy earned her Ph.D. in neuroscience at Yale University in 2020, where she identified the neural mechanisms for unlearning memories in the fruit fly. She then completed two National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) T32 postdoctoral research fellowships at Yale School of Medicine: the Division of Prevention and Community Research’s training program in substance use prevention and the Neuroimaging Sciences Training Program. She joined the Department of Psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine as an Assistant Professor in January 2025.
Last Updated on February 23, 2025.
Appointments
Psychiatry
Assistant ProfessorPrimary
Other Departments & Organizations
- All Institutions
- Janeway Society
- Psychiatry
Education & Training
- PhD
- Yale University, Neuroscience (2020)
- BA
- Columbia University, Biochemistry (2012)
Research
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Overview
Medical Research Interests
Social Support
ORCID
0000-0002-8862-6715
Research at a Glance
Yale Co-Authors
Frequent collaborators of Li Yan McCurdy's published research.
Publications Timeline
A big-picture view of Li Yan McCurdy's research output by year.
Research Interests
Research topics Li Yan McCurdy is interested in exploring.
Marc Potenza, PhD, MD
Brian D. Kiluk, PhD
Jennifer M. Loya, PhD
Zu Wei Zhai
Charla Nich
Elise DeVito, PhD
10Publications
381Citations
Social Support
Publications
2025
Sex Moderates Relationships Between Alcohol Use Disorder, Brain Structure, and Perceived Emotional Support in Young Adults.
McCurdy L, Cheng A, Potenza M, Zhao Y. Sex Moderates Relationships Between Alcohol Use Disorder, Brain Structure, and Perceived Emotional Support in Young Adults. Journal Of Addiction Medicine 2025, 20: 238-244. PMID: 40794481, DOI: 10.1097/adm.0000000000001569.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsLifetime alcohol use disorderAlcohol use disorderGray-matter volumeGray-matterSocial supportUse disorderInstrumental supportAlcohol use disorder statusSample of young adultsBrain-behavior relationshipsEmotional supportSelf-report scalesT1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging dataYoung adultsMagnetic resonance imaging dataFunction of sexPerceived emotional supportSex moderates relationshipsHuman Connectome Project dataNeuroanatomical correlatesNeuroimaging studiesBrain regionsBrain structuresSex differencesNeural featuresA Narrative Review of Nicotine and Alcohol Addiction Recovery Content on TikTok
McCurdy L, Na P, Potenza M. A Narrative Review of Nicotine and Alcohol Addiction Recovery Content on TikTok. Journal Of Korean Academy Of Child And Adolescent Psychiatry 2025, 36: 135-143. PMID: 40631649, PMCID: PMC12223669, DOI: 10.5765/jkacap.250016.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsConceptsReduce substance useSubstance useBenefits of quittingSubstance use contentWeb of SciencePublic health concernPotential intervention targetsContent themesIntervention targetsHealth concernNarrative reviewHigher engagementNicotine useSocial media platformsSocial media platformSocial media sitesAdolescent substance useReduced consumptionQuittingJourney storiesMedia platformMedia platformsMedia sitesHashtagsTikTokSmartphone Apps for Problematic Pornography Use: A Review of Content and Quality
Hart-Derrick V, Virani S, Zadeh O, Genovese N, Engel J, Ponce Martinez C, Potenza M, McCurdy L. Smartphone Apps for Problematic Pornography Use: A Review of Content and Quality. Current Addiction Reports 2025, 12: 54. DOI: 10.1007/s40429-025-00669-0.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsConceptsMobile App Rating ScaleProblematic pornography usePornography useMHealth appsCognitive-behavioral therapyEfficacious psychosocial treatmentsCognitive-behavioral skillsNegative psychosocial consequencesPsychosocial treatmentsRelationship difficultiesPsychological distressRating ScaleEngagement subscalesReview of contentSexual expectationsPsychosocial consequencesAccess treatmentSummaryOur resultsGoal settingHigher scoresMHealthSmartphone appMindfulness/meditationApp StorePornographySubstantiating policy recommendations for reducing gambling-related harms with perspectives from individuals with lived experience
McCurdy L, Park J, Potenza M. Substantiating policy recommendations for reducing gambling-related harms with perspectives from individuals with lived experience. Current Opinion In Psychiatry 2025, 38: 259-264. PMID: 40166986, PMCID: PMC12122230, DOI: 10.1097/yco.0000000000001008.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsExperience of gambling-related harmReduce gambling-related harmGambling-related harmQualitative studyPopulation-level strategiesPolicy recommendationsPerspectives of individualsPublic health concernIncrease accessHealth concernPertinent topicsHarmFinancial limitationsPolicy-level recommendationsGambling regulationPolicySelf-exclusionRecommendationsGambling industryGambling opportunitiesIndividualsAggressive advertisingStigmaRegulatory measuresGambling operators
2024
Structural brain changes associated with cocaine use and digital cognitive behavioral therapy in cocaine use disorder treatment
McCurdy L, DeVito E, Loya J, Nich C, Zhai Z, Kiluk B, Potenza M. Structural brain changes associated with cocaine use and digital cognitive behavioral therapy in cocaine use disorder treatment. Drug And Alcohol Dependence Reports 2024, 11: 100246. PMID: 38966567, PMCID: PMC11222934, DOI: 10.1016/j.dadr.2024.100246.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsConceptsCocaine use disorderCognitive behavioral therapyCocaine useBehavioral therapyBrain changesBrain structuresWhole-brain voxel-based morphometry analysisCocaine use disorder treatmentLevel of cocaine useWeeks of outpatient treatmentVoxel-based morphometry analysisDigital cognitive behavioral therapyT1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging scansRight caudate bodyAssociated with cocaine useMethadone-maintained individualsGray matter volumeStructural brain changesFunction of engagementCaudate bodyRight caudateCUD treatmentMatter volumeUse disorderBilateral cerebellumNeural correlates of altered emotional responsivity to infant stimuli in mothers who use substances
McCurdy L, Yip S, Worhunsky P, Zhai Z, Kim S, Strathearn L, Potenza M, Mayes L, Rutherford H. Neural correlates of altered emotional responsivity to infant stimuli in mothers who use substances. Journal Of Psychiatric Research 2024, 171: 126-133. PMID: 38277872, PMCID: PMC10922955, DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2024.01.024.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsResponses to infant stimuliInfant stimuliMaternal behaviorAffective processesBrain regionsPsychological processesEmotional responsesFunctional magnetic resonance imagingPotential neural targetsInfant emotional expressionsMaternal emotional responsivenessSubstance-use statusAssociated with difficultiesSocial-emotional developmentInfant social-emotional developmentMaternal substance useInfant facesCognitive processesImprove child outcomesEmotional expressionEmotional intensityNeural targetsSubstance useGroups of mothersChild outcomes
2023
A non-randomized pilot study protocol of a novel social support intervention for individuals in early recovery from hazardous alcohol use
McCurdy L, Kong G, Krishnan-Sarin S, Kiluk B, Potenza M. A non-randomized pilot study protocol of a novel social support intervention for individuals in early recovery from hazardous alcohol use. PLOS ONE 2023, 18: e0292293. PMID: 37796784, PMCID: PMC10553253, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0292293.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsRecovery support servicesHazardous alcohol useSocial support interventionsAlcohol usePilot studyEarly recoverySupport interventionsPilot study protocolMixed methods pilot studyOnline social support interventionQuality of lifeSupport servicesSelf-reported changesPrimary outcomeSecondary outcomesStudy protocolHazardous alcoholSmartphone Apps for Problem Gambling: a Review of Content and Quality
McCurdy L, Loya J, Hart-Derrick V, Young G, Kiluk B, Potenza M. Smartphone Apps for Problem Gambling: a Review of Content and Quality. Current Addiction Reports 2023, 10: 178-186. PMID: 38463534, PMCID: PMC10919356, DOI: 10.1007/s40429-023-00479-2.Peer-Reviewed Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus StatementsCitations
2021
Dopaminergic mechanism underlying reward-encoding of punishment omission during reversal learning in Drosophila
McCurdy LY, Sareen P, Davoudian PA, Nitabach MN. Dopaminergic mechanism underlying reward-encoding of punishment omission during reversal learning in Drosophila. Nature Communications 2021, 12: 1115. PMID: 33602917, PMCID: PMC7893153, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21388-w.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsDopaminergic neuronsCholinergic neuronsNeural circuit mechanismsCholinergic relayDopaminergic mechanismsSynaptic excitationSynaptic reconstructionSynaptic inputsVivo functional imagingCircuit mechanismsNeuronsAversive memoryFunctional imagingOdor responsesAversive outcomesReduced activationSuch activationCircuit motifsActivationOutcomesElectric shock punishmentSensory cuesUnexpected omissionShock punishmentBehavioral analysis
2013
Anatomical Coupling between Distinct Metacognitive Systems for Memory and Visual Perception
McCurdy L, Maniscalco B, Metcalfe J, Liu K, de Lange F, Lau H. Anatomical Coupling between Distinct Metacognitive Systems for Memory and Visual Perception. Journal Of Neuroscience 2013, 33: 1897-1906. PMID: 23365229, PMCID: PMC4696871, DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1890-12.2013.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsMetacognitive efficiencyFrontal polar regionsGray matter volumeMetacognitive systemKinds of metacognitionMatter volumeDistinct brain structuresVoxel-based morphometry analysisMemory taskBehavioral correlationsMetacognitive mechanismsMetacognitive tasksModel comparison analysisMemory processingPrecuneus volumeVisual perceptionAnatomical couplingStructural covariationPsychophysical measuresPrecuneus regionsMetacognitionHuman brainBrain structuresMorphometry analysisTask
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