Rutgers Addiction Research Center (RARC)

GSAPP Webinar: A 50-Year Integrative Perspective on the Psychology and Psychotherapy of Substance Use Disorders
2025-11-07 09:30 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | Virtual
This webinar presents a psychological and psychotherapeutic approach to understanding and treating addiction, informed by the presenter’s five decades of experience working with diverse patient populations across a wide range of substance use disorders (SUDs) involving alcohol, opioids, cocaine, and other psychoactive drugs. His work spans multiple settings, from inpatient and outpatient programs to private office-based and internet-based practice. He will share insights into effective treatment strategies, focusing on how mental health professionals, regardless of theoretical background, can build on their existing skills to address both the behavioral and psychological dimensions of addiction.
For psychotherapists and others in the mental health field, it is well-recognized that behavior change alone often falls short in overcoming addiction. When complex psychological issues remain unrecognized and unaddressed, substance use frequently serves as a coping mechanism for managing overwhelming emotions and psychological distress, making relapse likely or even inevitable. This webinar explores how sustained abstinence, while beneficial, does not fully resolve underlying emotional difficulties. These unresolved issues, unless adequately identified and addressed, may continue to drive cravings and self-medication urges long after substance use has ceased.
This webinar will describe key principles and practices of treatment that blend together psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, client-centered, and pharmacological interventions. And, how key elements of seemingly disparate approaches can be blended together to provide effective individualized care. The integrated psychotherapeutic approach described in this webinar is transtheoretical in the sense that it does not view one conceptual framework or theoretical orientation as superior to all others. Rather, it appreciates that each has something to offer to greater or lesser degrees depending on the particulars of a given case. A flexible nondogmatic stance that gives priority to establishing and maintaining a positive therapeutic relationship with each patient is seen as the primary vehicle for delivering truly individualized care. Participants will learn how they can build upon the clinical skills they already have to engage and treat patients with SUDs more effectively in psychotherapy practice and/or other clinical settings.
Instructor: Arnold Washton, PhD
For more information, click here.

BHI Plenary Seminar: Dr. Michael J. Frank Frontosubthalamic Control Over Motivated Action
2025-11-06 12:00 - 13:00 | Aidekman Research Center, Room 103, 197 University Avenue, Newark, NJ, 07102, United States
he Rutgers Brain Health Institute (BHI) is thrilled to welcome Dr. Michael J. Frank, Edgar L. Marston Professor of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences and Director of the Carney Center for Computational Brain Science at Brown University, as our distinguished plenary speaker for the Brain Health Institute Plenary Seminar Series. This event, scheduled for Thursday, November 6, 2025, at 12:00 PM at Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Aidekman Building, Room 103 Rutgers University-Newark, promises to spark innovative dialogues at the intersection of computational neuroscience, decision-making, and basal ganglia circuits—key to understanding motivated behaviors and disorders like Parkinson’s disease.
Dr. Michael J. Frank
Dr. Frank’s trajectory in neuroscience exemplifies a seamless integration of engineering rigor and cognitive inquiry. He earned a B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from Queen’s University, Canada, in 1997, followed by an M.S. in Electrical Engineering (Biomedicine) from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2000, and a Ph.D. in Neuroscience and Psychology from the same institution in 2004. His doctoral research, advised by Dr. Randall C. O’Reilly, explored dynamic dopamine modulation of striato-cortical circuits in cognition—a foundation for his lifelong pursuit of how neural networks drive learning and choice. Launching his independent career as an Assistant Professor at the University of Arizona in 2006, Dr. Frank joined Brown University in 2009. There, he advanced rapidly: Associate Professor from 2011 to 2016, full Professor in Cognitive and Psychological Sciences since 2016, Edgar L. Marston Professor since 2018, and Director of the Carney Center for Computational Brain Science since 2020. In these roles, he oversees interdisciplinary efforts to model brain function, bridging theory with empirical data to advance computational psychiatry.
Abstract of the Talk: “Frontosubthalamic Control over Motivated Action”
The subthalamic nucleus (STN) is the primary region targeted by deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery for Parkinson’s patients. While STN-DBS is effective, it can also induce cognitive side effects. Synthesizing anatomical, electrophysiological, and lesion data, we developed a computational account of how the STN contributes to action selection and decision making. In the model, the STN detects “conflict” among competing cortical actions and, in turn, sends a “hold your horses” signal to temporarily prevent the striatum from prematurely selecting a response. We have studied this mechanism at levels of computation that are both more abstract (functional and cognitive) and more biophysical (mechanism). We showed that neural dynamics within the frontal cortex-STN network can be summarized in terms of more abstract mathematical models of decision dynamics in the form of sequential sampling models, wherein STN activity increases the effective “decision threshold.” Several key predictions from this model have been supported: decision conflict induces low-frequency cortical and STN dynamics, which in turn support adaptive decision making by altering the decision threshold. Moreover, interfering with this mechanism via STN-DBS reduces the decision threshold and induces impulsivity. At the biophysical level, we have built a large-scale model of the STN and its interaction with other basal ganglia nuclei to study the mechanisms that give rise to low-frequency oscillations related to decision conflict. This work identified NMDA receptors within the STN and architectural constraints that induce the observed neural dynamics, consistent with recent reports that NMDA modulation within STN can be leveraged to modulate impulsivity. This work truly shows the impact of multilevel modeling from circuit to function to biophysics.
Date and Time: Thursday, November 6, 12:00 PM
Location: Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Aidekman Building, Room 103, Rutgers University-Newark
Zoom: https://rutgers.zoom.us/j/94853284352?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting code: 948 5328 4352 Password: [REDACTED]
Hosted by Dr. Travis Baker, Associate Professor, the Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University-Newark
Learn more, click here.

Rutgers Psychiatry Grand Rounds: RWJMS Trainee GR- PGY IVs - Dr. Emma Azurin & Dr. Adaugo Okoye
2025-11-04 11:00 - 12:00 | Virtual
The Rutgers Department of Psychiatry is excited to have you join us for the first Grand Rounds of the 2025-2026 Academic year.
Pleased to invite you join to us on Tuesday, November 4, 2025 @ 11AM.
Join Zoom Meeting

RARC Translational Impact Workgroup - Kick Off Meeting
2025-11-03 11:30 - 12:30 | 390 George Street, 3rd Floor, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
This new workgroup aims to bring together researchers from different fields with a shared mission to translate their scientific discoveries into real-world impact. Some areas of focus will include: (1) how researchers can leverage their discoveries and create partnerships to facilitate health policy changes, (2) dissemination strategies that maximize public trust and acceptability of scientific recommendations, and (3) strategies for partnering across fields (e.g., neuroscience to clinical trials) and with non-academic stakeholders (e.g., industry) who play a critical role in helping facilitate discoveries into real-world impacts. The workgroup will be led by Dr. Jamey Lister, an Associate Professor at Rutgers University School of Social Work, with co-leadership from Dr. Danielle Dick, the Director of the RARC, and Greg Brown Endowed Chair in Neuroscience.
In-person: Classroom B (308), 390 George Street, 3rd Floor, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Virtual: Zoom (Link to be sent the week before the event)
Please register to attend: CLICK HERE

SSW Webinar: Understanding Comorbidity in the Treatment of Eating Disorders
2025-11-03 09:30 - 12:30 | Virtual
This clinical webinar will focus on comorbid concerns and diagnoses related to Eating Disorders. Newer trends focusing on ADHD and autism will be discussed and how they influence disordered eating behaviors. Case studies will be used to understand the comorbidity of these diagnoses and how to work with clients on both the disordered eating and other concerns. (This is an elective for the Certificate Program in Eating Disorders)

Monday, November 03, 2025
9:30 am – 12:30 pm ET
Live Interactive Online Webinar
Presenter: Sara Martino, PhD, NCC, LPC
For more information, click here.

Mobilize Recovery Campus Surge 2025 - Addiction, Recovery, and Mental Health Resource Fair and Live Performance
2025-11-03 05:00 - 20:00 | 84 Joyce Kilmer Ave, Livingston Student Center, Piscataway, NJ
Mobilize Recovery is bringing the Campus Surge 2025 initiative to Rutgers University – New Brunswick as part of a nationwide effort to address the challenges of substance use and mental health among college students. This event aims to raise awareness, provide resources, and empower students and the Rutgers community to become advocates for recovery on campus. Rutgers will highlight what they are doing in the addiction and recovery space, as well as the people who are making it happen.
What To Expect:

Resource Fair: Informational tabling on addiction, recovery, and mental health led by experts and advocates.
Harm Reduction: Distribution of overdose reversal agents and fentanyl test strips to reduce fatalities.
Community Engagement: Opportunities to mingle, network, and connect.
​Musical performance by Noah Thompson, country music singer and 2022 American Idol winner.
Dinner buffet will be provided to attendees. Please RSVP.
Premier of The History of Collegiate Recovery at Rutgers.
Powerful Keynote Panel with special guests

5:00pm: Resource Fair
6:00pm: Noah Thompson Performance
6:30pm: Buffet-style Dinner
6:45pm: Keynote Panel
RSVP Today

SSW Webinar: Ethical and Legal Issues in Substance Abuse Counseling
2025-10-30 09:30 - 12:30 | Virtual
This interactive webinar focuses on the major elements of legal issues surrounding counselors in working with patients who have substance use disorders. In this webinar, participants will learn about the different areas of legal concern for today’s counselors working with clients who have both mental health and substance use issues. Legal areas include scope of clinical practice regarding supervision (including 2019 changes and proposed rule changes), ADC telehealth and telemedicine regulations (proposed in 2021), and NJ Uniform Enforcement Act changes (including 2021 changes). Other recent changes to include the required 3 hours of Legal Standards training include regulation/statute changes in ADC continuing education (3 hours of Legal Standards) and statutory requirements of 1 hour of opioid training (for those dually licensed professionals).
*This webinar does not meet the prescription opioid requirement for social work.
*This webinar does not qualify for NBCC clock hours in ethics for Licensed Professional Counselors.

Thursday, October 30, 2025
9:30 am – 12:30 pm ET
Live Interactive Online Webinar

Presenter: Glenn Duncan, LPC, LCADC, CCS, ACS
For more information, click here.

SSW Webinar: The Opioid Crisis in NJ: Current Trends and Evidence-Based Treatment Options
2025-10-29 09:30 - 12:30 | Virtual
This interactive webinar will discuss the latest developments and trends regarding natural opiates, semi-synthetic opioids, and synthetic opioids. Participants will be able to identify national and local NJ trends with regards to prescribing practices and new legislation, opioid overdoses and trends with opioid use. Participants will be able to distinguish the difference between which drugs are considered naturally occurring opiates, which are considered semi-synthetic opioids and which are considered synthetic opioids. Participants will be introduced into the assessment of and treatment of Opioid Use Disorders via the DSM 5 criteria, the latest nationally recognized medicated assisted treatment and the non-medication assisted treatment approaches when working with clients. Participants will be able to identify three different medicated assisted treatments (MAT), and discussion of medicinal marijuana being added as an MAT option. Webinar participants will be introduced to a harm reduction treatment paradigm and will be able to identify at least 3 different harm reduction principles when working with clients. Finally, participants will engage in an interactive case that will develop throughout the webinar and have different objectives (e.g., assessing a proper level of care, and then incorporating a harm reduction treatment orientation with the client in regards to their MAT decision process). [This webinar will complete your prescription opioid social work license requirement]
Wednesday, October 29, 2025
9:30 am – 12:30 pm ET
Live Interactive Online Webinar
Presenter: Glenn Duncan, LPC, LCADC, CCS, ACS
For more information, click here.

SSW Webinar: Current Drug Trends and Emerging Drugs of Abuse
2025-10-28 09:30 - 12:30 | Virtual
Many new drugs are making local and national headlines such as K2/Spice and Bath Salts. This interactive webinar will discuss the latest developments and information regarding synthetic cannabinoids, MDPV, Mephedrone, Kratom, Salvia and other designer drugs that have been emerging over the past few years. Webinar participants will be introduced to the physiology of these drugs and how they can possibly impact, mimic and exacerbate mental health disorders such as anxiety and depressive disorders. Epidemiologic trends in drug abuse in both youth and adults will be discussed as will the latest trends from the New Jersey Division of Addiction Services. Webinar participants will participate in interactive discussions and exercises in differential diagnosis of similar symptoms produced by these emerging drugs of abuse and other mental health disorders. Patterns of use, abilities for urine detection, and other legal aspect regarding these emerging drugs will be discussed. [This webinar will complete your prescription opioid social work license requirement.]
Tuesday, October 28, 2025
9:30 am – 12:30 pm ET
Live Interactive Online Webinar

Instructor: Glenn Duncan, LPC, LCADC, CCS, ACS
For more information, click here.

Princeton Neuroscience Institute × Rutgers Brain Health Institute - Postdoc and Graduate Student Mixer
2025-10-24 15:00 - 17:00 | Princeton Neuroscience Institute Rm Study Hall (A Level)
This event will take place on October 24 from 3–5 PM in Princeton Neuroscience Institute Rm Study Hall (A Level) and is open to all postdocs and graduate students from PNI and BHI.
Our goal is simple: to build meaningful connections across universities. Come enjoy an afternoon of games, prizes, food, and drinks!! Maybe you’ll even meet your next collaborator (or friend!) over a round of trivia.
Free transportation from Rutgers to Princeton will be provided if you indicate your interest below. Please note that if you opt for transportation, pick up from Busch Campus will be at 2pm and pickup from PNI at 7pm. There is an additional PNI event from 5-7pm that we are invited to and have budgeted transportation for.
To register to attend, click here.

Training in Addiction Research Program (TARP) Meeting with Lori Knackstedt, PhD - "The Impact of Polysubstance Use on D rug-seeking and Neurobiology"
2025-10-23 13:00 - 14:00 | Dean’s Conference Room, Research Tower, Busch Campus, 675 Hoes Lane, West Piscataway, 08854
In-person Location: Dean’s Conference Room, Research Tower, Busch Campus, 675 Hoes Ln W, Piscataway, NJ 08854
Virtual via Zoom: CLICK HERE
Meeting ID: 928 7625 6738
Password: [REDACTED]
These events are for all TARP and RARC faculty and trainees, as well as collaborators and friends, so feel free to pass along the invitation to others. Food and drinks will be provided.

Addiction Policy Forum Webinar - Extent of Cannabis Use: Trends, Risks, and Policy Landscape
2025-10-23 13:00 - 14:00 | Virtual
Cannabis use in the United States has increased significantly in recent years, alongside rapidly evolving state policies that permit medical or recreational use. These shifts raise important questions about public health, including the impact on mental health and substance use disorder risk, adolescent brain development, and the potential harms associated with regular or high-potency use. Variations in state laws create a complex landscape that can influence access, perceptions of risk, and patterns of use across different populations.

This webinar will explore the current policy landscape of cannabis use across the country, highlighting laws and regulations for medical and non-medical consumption and their public health implications. Speakers will also discuss emerging research on the latest trends, potential risks, and harms, with a focus on adolescent use.
For more information, click here.

CAS Cooper Colloquium Endowed Lecture featuring Dr. Shannon Kehle-Forbes - Centering Patients’ Voices in the Study of Co-Occurring Post-Traumatic Stress and Substance Use Disorders
2025-10-22 12:30 - 13:30 | Virtual
The Center of Alcohol and Substance Use Studies is hosting an upcoming Cooper Colloquium Endowed Lecture, featuring Dr. Shannon Kehle-Forbes, on October 22nd, from 12:30 to 1:30 PM.

Dr. Kehle-Forbes will present on the topic, “Centering Patients’ Voices in the Study of Co-Occurring Post-Traumatic Stress and Substance Use Disorders.” In this talk, Dr. Kehle-Forbes will share key findings from a large randomized comparative effectiveness trial evaluating two psychotherapies for treating PTSD co-occurring with substance use. Her presentation will highlight how engaging end-users and using mixed-method data collection improved the trial’s conduct and enriched its conclusions.

Website:https://rutgers.zoom.us/meeting/register/4gEureTnSnayxQZoUVbwFw

CHOICES (Consumers Helping Others Improve their Condition by Ending Smoking) 20 Year Celebration Luncheon!
2025-10-09 12:00 - 15:00 | Rutgers Club, Livingston Campus
CHOICES is celebrating its 20th Anniversary on October 9, 2025, at The Rutgers Club in Piscataway. Founded by Dr. Jill Williams, CHOICES (Consumers Helping Others Improve their Condition by Ending Smoking) is a peer-led program addressing tobacco dependence among individuals with mental health conditions. The event will bring together leaders from across New Jersey’s mental health and addiction communities to reflect on two decades of impact and innovation. To learn more, click here.

RARC Digital Health Workgroup Meeting (Kick Off Event!) Featuring Dr. Grace Kong
2025-10-07 14:00 - 15:00 | Virtual
We’re excited to launch this new group co-led by Drs. Kristina Jackson and Marilyn Piccirillo with a special presentation by Dr. Grace Kong, Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine.
Dr. Kong’s research explores how social media can be used as a powerful data source to identify tobacco use and promotion among youth and young adults. She will highlight innovative approaches, including machine learning and generative AI, for analyzing social media data to detect emerging trends and discuss how these methods can be applied to address broader public health challenges, including substance use and mental health.
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 942 4401 7951
Password: [REDACTED]

GSAPP 50th Anniversary Gala
2025-10-04 18:00 - 23:00 | The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Center, 10 Livingston Ave, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901
RARC campus partner, Rutgers Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology (GSAPP)’s 50th Anniversary Gala registration is now open! Whether you’re a student, alumni, faculty, staff, or community member, if GSAPP has touched your life, this milestone event is for YOU! Please join us for an unforgettable evening of connection, reflection, and celebration as we honor our beloved school’s impact and how we have been “Meeting the Moment” for 50 remarkable years.
Date/Time: Saturday, October 4, 2025 | 6-11 pm
Location: The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Center, New Brunswick, NJ
Details & Registration: go.rutgers.edu/GSAPP50thAnniversaryGala

GSAPP Webinar - The Opioid Crisis: Current Trends and Treatment Options
2025-09-25 09:00 - 12:30 | Virtual
The goal of this interactive workshop will discuss the latest developments and trends regarding natural opiates, semisynthetic opioids, and synthetic opioids. Participants will be able to identify national and local NJ trends with regard to prescribing practices and new legislation, opioid overdoses and trends for opioid use. Participants will be able to distinguish the difference between which drugs are considered naturally occurring opiates, which are considered semisynthetic opioids, and which are considered synthetic opioids. Participants will be able to identify three different medicated assisted treatments (MAT/MOUD), and discussion of medicinal marijuana being added as an MAT option. Workshop participants will be able to identify newer opioid trends (e.g., Nitazines) and new trends of adulterants that can have an impact on people who use substances (e.g., Xylazine and Medetomidine).
To learn more and register, click here.
Learning Objectives
By attending this workshop, participants will be able to do the following:

Workshop participants will be able to differentiate the major elements the Federal Government uses when classifying drugs from schedule 1 through schedule 5.
Workshop participants will be able to identify national and local NJ trends with regard to prescribing practices and new legislation, opioid overdoses and trends with opioid use.
Workshop participants will be able to distinguish the difference between which drugs are considered naturally occurring opiates, which are considered semisynthetic opioids and which are considered synthetic opioids.
Workshop participants will be able to list and describe three different best practice medication assisted therapies when working with clients who have an opioid-use disorder.

Instructor Bio
Glenn Duncan LPC, LCADC, CCS, ACS has been working in the behavioral healthcare field for thirty two years. He has lectured nationally on many topics including clinical supervision. He is a Licensed Professional Counselor, a Licensed Clinical Alcohol/Drug Counselor, a Certified Clinical Supervisor, and an Approved Clinical Supervisor. Glenn is currently the owner of Advanced Counselor Training, LLC since 2011. For 15 years (2003-2018) Glenn served as the Executive Director at Hunterdon Drug Awareness Program, Inc., retiring from the position in 2018. Since 1999, Glenn has also specialized in, and has developed, a customized clinical supervision workshop series that ranges from 24 to 45 hours, depending on the licensure requirements of a given state. He is a leading lecturer for both addictions and mental health professionals regarding clinical supervision, and teaches this topic nationally. Glenn authored a chapter on the use of live supervision in a community treatment organization for the book entitled “The Use of Technology in Clinical Supervision and Training: Mental Health Applications.” Glenn has three written publications used for continuing education on the topic of clinical supervision, including virtual supervision and other technology issues.
Glenn is an expert on emerging drugs of abuse and current drug trends, and teaches this workshop nationally. He has consulted both locally in New Jersey and nationally with authorities on both the State and Federal levels. His presentations on emerging drugs of abuse have been used by officials in Illinois, Delaware, New Hampshire, and has been used by DEA officials for training purposes. Glenn also teaches on other topics such as harm reduction, cultural humility, medicinal and legal cannabis, and legal and ethical issues in counseling. He also teaches the ASAM Criteria 3rd and 4th Editions nationally (The American Society of Addictions Medicine, which is the medical/clinical necessity criteria for the substance use field).

NJ ACTS Special Populations Seminar - Project ECHO: A Took for Dissemination, Equity & Community Engagement
2025-09-23 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual
Join us on Tuesday, September 23, at 12 pm ET for a presentation of the NJ ACTS Special Populations Core 2025 Seminar Series – Project ECHO, a Tool for Dissemination, Equity & Community Engagement with Amy Fisher, MHA Program Director, Project ECHO, RWJMS & a Panel of Experts
Discover how Rutgers Project ECHO uses virtual, case-based learning to support frontline professionals and expand access to care for New Jersey’s special populations. This session will highlight how ECHO promotes equity, disseminates research, and drives impact through education —- featuring real-world insights from hub team members working across areas like maternal health, substance use, and chronic disease.
Register for the event: go.rutgers.edu/2vhzquwf

Garden State Patient Safety Center's Virtual Safe Table - Neurobiology of Addiction
2025-09-22 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual
Join us for a virtual Safe Table focused on the Neurobiology of Addiction. This session explores the expanded fundamental model of addiction through a neurobiological lens. Participants will examine how addiction involves not only the hijacking of the brain’s reward pathways but also impairs executive function. In 2025, the fundamental model has been expanded to include newer concepts such as motivational circuitry, the anti-reward pathways, and interoception. These 21st-century insights are transforming the treatment landscape for substance use and behavioral addictions. The session will highlight how these discoveries inform emerging pharmacological and psychosocial interventions, equipping clinicians with innovative, evidence-based strategies to improve patient outcomes.
This program is for NJHA members only.
Registration Deadline: Sept. 21, 2025
Learn more: click here.

NIDA Webinar: Publishing Addiction Science
2025-09-18 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual
The NIDA International Program and the International Society of Addiction Journal Editors (ISAJE) will co-host the webinar “Publishing Addiction Science.” This free webinar will be an insightful, interactive presentation designed to assist researchers moving through the complicated journey of academic publishing. Attendees can participate using the Microsoft Teams desktop app or a web browser. Registration is not required. For more details, click here.

About the Presenters:

Casy Calver, Ph.D., M.Sc.
is the Executive Officer for ISAJE. Dr. Calver is also the Managing Editor of Addiction Science & Clinical Practice and Editorial Director in the Clinical Addiction Research and Education Unit and the Grayken Center for Addiction at Boston Medical Center. Her doctoral dissertation in Editorial Studies was an annotated edition of the 1937 publication, Authors Take Sides on the Spanish War. She holds an M.Sc. in Global Health Policy.

Adam J. Gordon, M.D., M.P.H., FACP, DFASAM
ISAJE board member with a 25+ year history of conducting research and has authored more than 350 peer-reviewed articles and hundreds of scholarly presentations and abstracts. Dr. Gordon is the Elbert F. and Marie Christensen Endowed Research Professor, tenured Professor of Medicine and Psychiatry, at the University of Utah School of Medicine and the Section Chief of Addiction Medicine at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Salt Lake City Health Care System. He founded and is the Director of the Program for Addiction Research, Clinical Care, Knowledge, and Advocacy and is the Director of the Greater Intermountain Node of the NIDA Clinical Trials Network. He is the Editor-in-Chief of Substance Use & Addiction Journal.

RARC Treatment & Recovery Workgroup Meeting
2025-09-18 12:00 - 13:00 | Medical Sciences Building, E609, Emergency Medicine Conference Room, 185 S Orange Ave, Newark, NJ, 07103
We invite you to join us for the next Treatment & Recovery Workgroup Meeting on Thursday, September 18th, hosted in Newark. Lunch will be provided for in-person attendees. A virtual option via Zoom will also be available for those unable to attend in person. This gathering aims to bring together addiction researchers from across Rutgers, particularly those focused on treatment and recovery. Our goal is to facilitate idea exchange, networking, and collaboration to drive impactful, interdisciplinary research initiatives.
Meeting Highlights:

Featuring a Presentation from IRB
Works in Progress

In-person location: Medical Sciences Building, E609, Emergency Medicine Conference Room, 185 S Orange Ave, Newark, NJ 07103
Virtual location: Zoom (Link to be sent the week before the event to those who register)
Please RSVP for the event by filling out this form: https://rutgers.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5z0ZnhsGKl4zyNo
Calendar invite!

Rutgers Training in Addiction Research Program (TARP) Meeting with Dr. Kristina Jackson
2025-09-17 13:00 - 14:00 | Dean’s Conference Room, Research Tower, Busch Campus, 675 Hoes Lane, West Piscataway, 08854
You’re invited to the Rutgers Training in Addiction Research Program (TARP) Meeting featuring Dr. Kristina Jackson on Wednesday, September 17, 2025 at 1:00PM.

Topic: The Importance of Context in Understanding Adolescent and Young Adult Substance Use Behaviors

Presenter: Kristina M. Jackson, PhD, Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

Date: Wednesday, September 17, 2025

Time: 1:00-2:00 PM

In-person Location: Dean’s Conference Room, Research Tower, Busch Campus, 675 Hoes Ln W, Piscataway, NJ 08854

Virtual via Zoom: https://rutgers.zoom.us/j/97396836790?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 973 9683 6790
Password: [REDACTED]

All TARP and RARC faculty, trainees, collaborators, and friends are welcome. Food and drinks will be provided for in-person attendees. Please feel free to share this invitation with colleagues who may be interested.

DMHAS 2025 Virtual Opioid Summit
2025-09-17 09:00 - 16:00 | Virtual
On behalf of the Department of Human Services’ Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services, we would like to invite you to Save the Date for the 2025 Virtual Opioid Summit! The event will be held on Wednesday, September 17, 2025 from 9:00AM to 4:00PM . The Summit will present current research and evidence-based best practices through keynote speakers, panels and workshops. Topics to be covered include Opioid Use Disorder and Stigma, Current Drug Trends, Harm Reduction, Stimulant Use Disorder, Overdose Fatality Review Teams, and more! Continuing Education Credits are pending approval.
Register here: NJ Opioid Summit 2025 Registration
If you have any questions, please email DMHAS.OpioidSummit@dhs.nj.gov “

By the Book, Book Club: September Meeting featuring The Child Code by Danielle Dick, PhD.
2025-09-16 18:00 - 19:00 | Virtual
The IFPR Recovery, Community, Connection Business Resource Group is launching its new book club, By the Book, this September. The first meeting will take place on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, from 6–7 p.m. on Zoom, featuring The Child Code by Danielle Dick, PhD. The discussion will be led by Jennifer Luyster of RWJBarnabas Health and Dr. Tara Matthews of Children’s Specialized Hospital and will explore how genetics influences child behavior and development. The club is open to the public and welcomes anyone interested in positive, inspiring, or informative reads.
Learn more – Book Club Flyer
Register to attend, click here.

Webinar: Inside Adolescence: Substance Use Patterns, Predictions, Risk, and Resilience in the ABCD Study
2025-09-08 17:00 - 18:00 | Virtual
The Adolescent Brain Cognitive DevelopmentSM (ABCD) Study is the largest long-term study of brain development and child health in the United States. Join the webinar “Inside Adolescence: Substance Use Patterns, Predictions, Risk, and Resilience in the ABCD Study®” to hear experts share research findings on early substance use and explore potential protective factors that could prevent or delay it. This webinar will offer actionable insights for prevention specialists, educators, parents, and anyone who cares for or works with youth.
Read presenter bios here.
The webinar will be held twice to accommodate attendees in different time zones. Spanish interpretation will be available during both sessions.

Register for 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. ET
Register for 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. ET

RARC Annual Fall Symposium
2025-09-05 09:00 - 17:00 | Busch Student Center, 604 Bartholomew Rd, Piscataway, NJ, 08854

BHI JFWG NIH Grant Writing Workshop - Planning and Writing Successful NIH Grant Proposals
2025-09-03 09:30 - 2025-09-04 13:30 | Seminar Room 127 – Center for Advanced Human Brain Imaging Research, 661 Hoes Ln W,, Piscataway, 08854
The BHI Junior Faculty Working Group is sponsoring a grant-writing workshop delivered by AtKisson Training Group: https://www.atkissontraininggroup.com/
Fundamental concepts of NIH proposal planning and writing backed by concrete tips and operational strategies that support planning and longer-term sustainability. This workshop is designed for junior faculty looking to get concrete guidance on how to prepare R01-level grants for the NIH. The workshop will be held in person over two half-days and will be highly interactive. Registration is now open through August 15, 2025.
Register HERE
Location:
Center for Advanced Human Brain Imaging Research
Staged Research Building, 661 Hoes Ln W, Piscataway, NJ 08854
Seminar Room, 127
Link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/FYzi41S3Cm5XW3iK6
Date:
September 3rd, 2025, 9:30 am – 1:30 pm
September 4th, 2025, 1 pm – 5 pm
Lunch will be provided on both days.

NeC-ROTAC Webinar: Practical Strategies to Expand the Rural Behavioral Health Workforce
2025-08-27 10:00 - 10:30 | Virtual
Expanding the rural behavioral health workforce requires a multifaceted approach that addresses recruitment, retention, and accessibility challenges. This webinar will explore how communities can implement targeted strategies such as partnering with universities to create rural-focused training programs, offering financial incentives to attract professionals, and leveraging telehealth to extend services and supervision to remote areas.
Trainer: Humberto Carvalho, MPH
For more details and registration, click here.

NeC-ROTAC Webinar: Building Rural Recovery Ecosystems
2025-08-20 12:00 - 13:30 | Virtual
Building Rural Recovery Ecosystems refers to creating coordinated, community-based networks in rural areas that support individuals recovering from substance use disorders (SUD). These ecosystems integrate healthcare, employment, housing, transportation, and peer support services to help people in recovery rebuild their lives sustainably.
Trainer: Humberto Carvalho, MPH
For more details and registration, click here.

NIH PATH Study Data User Workshop
2025-08-13 09:00 - 2025-08-14 15:30 | Virtual
NIH’s National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is sponsoring an online Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study Data User Workshop to be held on August 13-14, 2025.
The Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study is a collaboration between the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Center for Tobacco Products (CTP), Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The PATH Study is a household-based, nationally representative, longitudinal cohort study of approximately 46,000 adults and youth (ages 12-17) in the United States. The PATH Study was launched in 2011 to inform the FDA’s regulatory activities under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, which was signed into law in 2009.
Course Description: This workshop will utilize hands-on examples to better understand the PATH Study sample design and weighting. Specifically, attendees will gain a better understanding of how to conduct longitudinal analyses to estimate change over time, as well as pseudo-cross-sectional analyses to estimate prevalence.
The workshop will include a brief overview of the PATH Study and a detailed discussion of the sample design and weights for all PATH Study public-use data files available from Wave 1 – Wave 7 (including youth, adult, and special collections). Participants will gain hands-on experience working with the public-use data files and understanding the weighted results. Instructors will review the types of restricted-use data files that are available from the PATH Study, but these will not be utilized during the workshop.
This workshop will focus on understanding and using the PATH Study data files, not on a specific analytic approach. The workshop will combine lecture, discussion, and hands-on exercises. This workshop will only be offered virtually.
To attend, please apply by June 30th. Enrollment is limited and admission to the workshop is competitive. For more information and to apply, please visit the2025 ICPSR Summer Program Topical Workshops website.
