Rutgers Addiction Research Center launches the first comprehensive addiction risk evaluation system, integrating new advances in genomics and epidemiology.

“I wish I could know.” That’s the most frequent comment that Dr. Danielle Dick, Director of the Rutgers Addiction Research Center within the Brain Health Institute, receives when she speaks to thousands of parents and community members about genetic influences on addiction every year.  That feedback led her to develop CARES, the Comprehensive Addiction Risk Evaluation System, which integrates new advances in genomics and psychology to help individuals understand their risk profile.

The platform is based on Dr. Dick’s 25 years of research funded by the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Dick leads an international consortium dedicated to identifying the genetic variants that lead some people to be more at risk of developing problems with addiction.  That consortium analyzed genomic data from 1.5 million individuals and identified thousands of genes that influence addiction and other behaviors related to self-regulation, such as ADHD.  Although each gene has a very small effect on its own, they can be added together to create a genetic risk score that accounts for about 10% of the variation in how likely people are to develop problems. “It’s the most powerful genetic risk score for any behavioral outcome to date”, says Dr. Dick.

But genes are only part of the story. The environment also plays an important role. Dick’s team has also analyzed data from thousands of children studied into adulthood to identify the behavioral and environmental factors that are most predictive of who develops problems. CARES brings together the genetic and behavioral/environmental pieces to help individuals understand their specific risk profile.

“I am passionate about bringing research to the public, so that everyone has access to, and can benefit from, research discoveries,” says Dick. “It’s a major focus of the Rutgers Addiction Research Center. I’m proud that we can offer the first-ever comprehensive addiction risk evaluation system, with the hope that by helping individuals understand their risk profile, they can take steps to improve their lives and health outcomes.”

To learn more about CARES and how to get your personalized risk profile, visit AddictionRisk.com.