Facilities and Resources

Historical Overview

Yale University has a rich tradition of excellent research in the field of Addiction Research. It was at Yale University that E.M. Jellinek advanced the hypothesis that alcoholism was a medical illness. Subsequently and over the past 40 years, Yale faculty investigators have been at the forefront of pioneering basic/translational research on the biological bases of addiction, landmark studies of psychiatric co-morbidity, and major single-site and multi-site outcome studies of what are now considered the standard pharmacotherapeutic (methadone, LAAM, buprenorphine, bupropion, clonidine, naltrexone, disulfiram, acamprosate) and psychotherapeutic (cognitive behavioral therapy; contingency management; motivational enhancement therapy; 12-step facilitation; HIV risk reduction; interpersonal psychotherapy; medication compliance enhancement) approaches to the treatment of addictions. The Division of Addictions (DA), formerly the Division of Substance Abuse (DSA), was established in 1992 to coordinate substance abuse research and teaching activities at the major institutions affiliated with the Department of Psychiatry.

Click here to learn more about the Yale Department of Psychiatry

Clinical Sites

• The Substance Abuse Treatment Unit (SATU)
• The Forensic Drug Diversion Clinic (ForDD) of the Connecticut Mental Health Center (CMHC), including its Clinical Neuroscience Research Unit (CNRU)
• Yale New Haven Hospital (YNHH; including Smilow Cancer Center at Yale New Haven and Yale New Haven Psychiatric Hospital (YPH)
• The West Haven Veterans Administration Medical Center of the VA Connecticut Healthcare System
• Yale New Haven's Psychiatric Hospital (YPH)
• The APT Foundation

Resources

1. A multidisciplinary group of productive, nationally prominent faculty scientists from the DA and from other departments at Yale Medical School who are collaborating on a range of pre-clinical, clinical and epidemiological research projects on drug addiction
2. An ongoing, stable substance abuse research program that began in 1968 and now encompasses approximately 100 major funded projects including 8 Centers covering a broad scope of topics and research methodologies
3. Clinical programs with a large population of drug abusing patients who are treated in most of the major treatment modalities currently practiced (i.e. methadone and buprenorphine maintenance; outpatient cocaine, alcohol, opioid, poly-drug, and dual diagnosis treatment; residential therapeutic communities; ambulatory detoxification; inpatient and partial hospitalization detoxification and treatment) providing a source of subjects for clinical research and an opportunity for clinical training
4. Active clinical research and training programs in addiction research supported by 8 Clinical and Translational Research Centers, 7 Resident and Postdoctoral Fellowship Programs
5. Close proximity to active pre-clinical research programs focusing on the molecular neurobiology of drug addictions
6. A rich array of formal and informal didactic training opportunities provided through affiliated postdoctoral training programs within the Department of Psychiatry and the School of Medicine and through formal courses and degree programs within Yale University which are open to Clinician Scientist trainees.

State of the art facilities in PET, MRI, and genetics exist.

Support

Each scholar will receive up to $100,000 in salary support in addition to a stipend for use in conducting your proposed research project.