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 Jiyun Park, PhD
Jennifer M. Loya, PhD
Elise DeVito, PhD
Peter Jongho Na, MD, MPH
17Publications
382Citations
Social Support
Publications
2026
Comparable reductions in subcortical activity during Stroop task performance in individuals with opioid use disorder receiving treatment for cocaine use disorder and a healthy control group
Engel J, DeVito E, Lacadie C, McCurdy L, Kiluk B, Frankforter T, Potenza M. Comparable reductions in subcortical activity during Stroop task performance in individuals with opioid use disorder receiving treatment for cocaine use disorder and a healthy control group. Addiction Neuroscience 2026, 19: 100254. DOI: 10.1016/j.addicn.2026.100254.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsCocaine use disorderOpioid use disorderHealthy control groupUse disorderColor-word Stroop taskFunctional magnetic resonance imagingStroop-related activityCognitive-behavioral therapyInferior frontal gyrusStroop task performanceTreatment development effortsMethadone-maintained patientsMiddle cingulate cortexHigher cognitive functionsCognitive controlStroop taskFrontal gyrusCingulate cortexFMRI scanningSubcortical activityCognitive functionTask performanceWeeks of treatmentNeural activityControl groupComprehensive Sexuality Education: a Qualitative Study on the Perspectives of Teachers, Parents and Adolescents
Ruiz-de-Larrinaga M, Gutiérrez-García A, Potenza M, Demetrovics Z, Bőthe B, McCurdy L, Villena-Moya A, Chiclana-Actis C, Ballester L, Ballester-Arnal R, Castro-Calvo J, Giménez-García C, Mestre-Bach G. Comprehensive Sexuality Education: a Qualitative Study on the Perspectives of Teachers, Parents and Adolescents. Sexuality Research And Social Policy 2026, 1-14. DOI: 10.1007/s13178-026-01292-y.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsSexuality educationEducation stakeholdersContent of sexuality educationDelivery of sexuality educationComprehensive sexuality educationPerspective of parentsEducation communityPedagogical methodsSchool settingsTeachersEducationQualitative methodologyQualitative studyPositive waySchoolFocus groupsEducational interventionSexuality education interventionsParentsGender equalityIn-personCore categoryPerceptionAnalysis processPerspectiveConnectome-based predictive modelling of problematic gaming in youth from the ABCD study.
Park J, Lacadie C, Scheinost D, McCurdy L, Potenza M, Zhao Y. Connectome-based predictive modelling of problematic gaming in youth from the ABCD study. Journal Of Behavioral Addictions 2026 PMID: 41556979, DOI: 10.1556/2006.2025.00103.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsConnectome-based predictive modelingFunctional magnetic resonance imagingResting-state fMRI dataFMRI dataAdolescent Brain Cognitive Development StudyCanonical networksReward processing tasksCognitive Development StudyFunctional connectivity dataCognitive controlExecutive functionBrain networksABCD studyVisual processingMotor responseTwo-year follow-upBrain statesTask-basedConnectivity dataNovel interventionsMagnetic resonance imagingAdolescentsBrainResonance imagingDevelopment studies
2025
Change 4 Better (C4B): Development of a Mobile App Providing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Skills for Gambling Disorder
Kiluk B, Gordon M, Loya J, McCurdy L, Park J, Frankforter T, Potenza M. Change 4 Better (C4B): Development of a Mobile App Providing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Skills for Gambling Disorder. Cognitive And Behavioral Practice 2025 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpra.2025.10.005.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsConceptsCognitive behavioral therapyGambling disorderCognitive behavioral therapy skillsBehavioral therapy skillsSubstance use disordersBehavioral intervention developmentEvidenced-based treatmentMobile appsStage modelCBT programBehavioral therapyTherapy skillsUse disorderPublic health problemIntervention developmentWellbeing of individualsClinician timeLogistical barriersSeeking treatmentHealth problemsDisordersGamblingNegative consequencesCreation of contentAppsStudy protocol of a pilot randomized controlled trial of transcranial direct current stimulation paired with reappraisal training for treatment of cannabis use disorder
Stryjewski A, Chung T, McCurdy L, Spitzen T, Zhang K, Morie K, Steele V, Crowley M, Potenza M. Study protocol of a pilot randomized controlled trial of transcranial direct current stimulation paired with reappraisal training for treatment of cannabis use disorder. PLOS ONE 2025, 20: e0328205. PMID: 40875751, PMCID: PMC12393744, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0328205.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsCannabis use disorderCannabis use disorders treatmentTranscranial direct current stimulationCognitive reappraisalCannabis useUse disorderDirect current stimulationTreatment of cannabis use disorderPilot randomized controlled trialRight dorsolateral prefrontal cortexDorsolateral prefrontal cortexRegulation of emotionCurrent stimulationNoninvasive brain stimulation techniqueSham transcranial direct current stimulationCannabis cuesBrain stimulation techniquesCraving intensityPrefrontal cortexReappraisal trainingTrials of transcranial direct current stimulationBrain activityBetween-subjects studyCannabisSubstance useSex 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 StorePornographyLoneliness Among US Veterans With Problematic Substance Use: Results From the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study
Na P, Kaiser A, McCurdy L, Fischer I, Jeste D, Petrakis I, Potenza M, Pietrzak R. Loneliness Among US Veterans With Problematic Substance Use: Results From the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study. Journal Of Addiction Medicine 2025, 20: 121-125. PMID: 41656555, DOI: 10.1097/adm.0000000000001508.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsProblematic substance useNational Health and ResilienceSocial network sizeCorrelates of lonelinessVeterans StudyDepressive symptomsUS veteransPsychological distressSubstance useLifetime suicide attemptsPosttraumatic stress symptomsThree-Item Loneliness ScaleUS military veteransPurpose in lifeSuicide attemptsStress symptomsPervasive public health problemBurden of lonelinessLikelihood of lonelinessMilitary veteransNationally Representative SampleLoneliness ScaleMultivariate logistic regressionPublic health problemLonelinessRecommendations for Diagnosing and Quantifying treatment outcomes in clinical trials of compulsive sexual behavior disorder
Engel J, Kraus S, McCurdy L, Potenza M. Recommendations for Diagnosing and Quantifying treatment outcomes in clinical trials of compulsive sexual behavior disorder. Addictive Behaviors Reports 2025, 21: 100610. PMID: 40927432, PMCID: PMC12415970, DOI: 10.1016/j.abrep.2025.100610.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsCompulsive sexual behaviorCompulsive sexual behavior disorderTreatment of compulsive sexual behaviourSexual behavior disorderTreatment outcome studiesMechanisms of changeNeuropsychological measuresMeasures of quality of lifeParaphilic interestsPrefrontal areasClinical InterviewQuantify treatment outcomesProblem behaviorsBehavioral disordersBehavioral engagementReward systemTreatment studiesTreatment trialsOutcome studiesSexual behaviorMoral judgmentTreatment outcomesDiagnostic criteriaDisordersTreatment changes
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