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MAY UPDATE FROM THE INSTITUTE
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Welcome to the May Issue of the IAS Newsletter!
As the school year comes to an end, we’d like to take a moment to honor the exceptional addiction science students and early career researchers affiliated with the institute. CONGRATULATIONS STUDENTS AND GRADUATES! The team at IAS are committed to uplifting students and supporting their growth in the field and we are so proud of the work you have accomplished. In May, we plan to continue championing students through our education programming, build on our community outreach, and cultivate more impactful research that changes the course of addiction science.
EDUCATION UPDATES
On April 25th, IAS held the annual Early Career Addiction Showcase (ECASS). The event was a huge success with 8 presentations and 13 posters on various topics by students from multiple schools across USC. This event truly reflected the transdisciplinary nature of IAS and captured the spirit of IAS’s mission to inspire innovation in the field. Congratulations to the brilliant early career addiction researchers who contributed to this event! Click here to see descriptions of the presentations and posters. A big congratulations to the ECASS winners:
- Meritorious Undergraduate Level Presentation : Ariana Coba Clementel
- Undergraduate Level Presentation : Giselle Soto Rivas
- Meritorious Masters/Post-Bac Level Presentation : Keegan Buch
- Masters/Post-Bac Level Presentation : Griffin Riggs
- Meritorious PhD Student Level Presentation : Siddhi Ganesh
- PhD Student Level Presentation : Jesse Goldshear
- Meritorious Post-Doctoral Level Presentation: Brigid Conn
- Post-Doctoral Level Presentation: Emily Johnson
On April 27th, the current and prospective Addiction Science minor students were invited to mingle with IAS faculty and celebrate the end of the school year at the Minor in Addiction Science Social. We congratulated the Spring  2023 minor in Addiction Science graduates who will no doubt go on to make a lasting impact in solving the addiction crisis. Lianna Treitler is graduating with a B.A. in Psychology and plans to attend law school and work in the field of policy and advocacy. Giselle Soto Rivas is graduating with a B.A. in Health and Human Sciences and hopes to go to medical school after taking a gap year. And Jenae Cipolla is graduating with a B.A. in Psychology and plans to apply to clinical psychology doctoral programs in the near future. We are so proud of you, graduates! We can’t wait to see what you do next.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT UPDATES
April’s Distinguished Speaker Series featured nationally recognized scholar, Joseph LaBrie, PhD. Dr. LaBrie spoke on the topic of “Rethinking Brief Substance Use Interventions: Including Novel Social Media Methods and Gamification to Increase Reach and Effectiveness.” He discussed the effectiveness of gamification in personalized normative feedback (PNF) interventions and posited that gamification can increase the efficacy of these interventions. Watch the talk here!
Our next Distinguished Speaker Series guest will be Julia Dilley, PhD, MES. Dr. Dilley is a Senior Research Scientist and Epidemiologist with Multnomah County Health Department and State of Oregon Public Health Division. Her current research focuses on the public health effects of law and policy around cannabis, alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs. Since 2016, she has co-chaired the nationwide Council of State & Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) Cannabis Subcommittee, leading efforts to identify the best measures and methods for cannabis-related public health monitoring. Her talk is titled: “Youth Cannabis Use and Risk Factors in the Pacific Northwest: Do Local Cannabis Retail Stores Affect Youth?” Learn more on May 10, 2023 at 12pm PDT by clicking here to register.
On June 1, 2023, IAS and the Center for Behavior and Addiction Management (CBAM) will be screening a film titled “Swallow THIS: A Documentary About Methadone and COVID-19.” This documentary reveals how methadone clinic policy changes during the COVID-19 pandemic lead to liberating new ways for patients to receive methadone. This screening will feature a Q&A session with the film’s directors and an expert panel discussion. Be sure to register here!
FACULTY HIGHLIGHTS
Our mission at IAS is to support the success of addiction scientists in all levels of their career. From undergraduate student to faculty member and beyond. Denise Tran, PhD's story is a prime example of IAS’s aim in empowering addiction researchers. Dr. Tran started her career as a mentee to IAS member Dr. Eric Pedersen. She applied for an pilot award to collect pilot data which then turned into her project for her K01. Now she is an associate faculty member at USC Keck School of Medicine! Kudos to you, Dr. Tran!
Congratulations as well to IAS member Cameron Kaplan, PhD on his promotion to Associate Professor of Medicine! Not only that, Dr. Kaplan was also named the Interim Director of the Gehr Family Center for Health System Science and Innovation, a huge honor! Dr. Kaplan is a health economist at the USC Schaeffer Center with a focus on the impact of health policy and insurance benefit design on healthcare utilization, health outcomes, and disparities. IAS is proud to have Dr. Kaplan as a member and we are thrilled to see his hard work and dedication be rewarded.
MISCELLANEOUS
The FDA has just approved Narcan nasal spray for over-the-counter (OTC), nonprescription, use – the first naloxone product approved for use without a prescription. This change will make the life-saving drug more accessible and will likely lead to an increase in overdose reversals in the US. According to the FDA, “Naloxone is a medication that rapidly reverses the effects of opioid overdose and is the standard treatment for opioid overdose.” With this approval, Narcan can be purchased in drug stores, convenient stores, gas stations, and grocery stores across the country. Read the full announcement here.
As always, we are very appreciative of your continued support of the Institute for Addiction Science and look forward to continuing to share our ongoing and upcoming projects and activities with you.
Warmest Regards,
Adam Leventhal, John Clapp, Daryl Davies, Ricky Bluthenthal, Terry Church, Vickie Williams, Loba Ojo, and Jillian Boelke
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IAS 2022 Distinguished Speaker Series - May 2023 Speaker Event:
This talk will be in-person at the Soto Street Building Room 116
1845 N. Soto Street Los Angeles, CA 90032
Lunch and parking provided.
(Please see receptionist upon arrival and she will provide you with a parking permit to place on your dashboard.)
(virtual attendance via zoom will also be available)
Click here to register
Special film screening of “Swallow THIS: A Documentary About Methadone and COVID-19”.
Thursday, June 1, 2023
5:00pm – 7:00pm PDT (Doors open at 4:30pm)
USC Bovard Auditorium
3551 Trousdale Pkwy.
Los Angeles, CA
(Parking provided in the McCarthy Structure)
Please join IAS, UCLA’s Center for Behavioral and Addiction Medicine (CBAM), and directors – Marilena Marchetti and Helen Redmond – for this special event!
This 30-minute documentary reveals what happened in methadone clinics du ring the pandemic. Federal agencies lifted restrictions on take-home doses so every person was eligible for 14 or 28 days of medication. Many patients experienced a liberation they never knew was possible.
There will also be a special Q&A discussion with the directors and expert panelists immediately following the film screening.
Please share this with friends, colleagues, faculty, community partners, and students! All are welcome to attend.
Registration is required. Please click here to RSVP.
On June 9, 2023 there will be an Addiction Science Research Training Retreat at the California Endowment from 8:00am – 5:00pm PST. Hosted by Charles Drew with collaborators from UCLA and UCI, this 2 nd annual event will feature five training programs in Southern California, two of which involve USC IAS.
- Univ. Southern California Institute for Addiction Science
- CA State Univ. San Bernardino Smoke and Tobacco Outreach and Prevention Scholars (STOPS) program
- UCLA T32 Program in the Translational Neuroscience of Drug Abuse
- UC Irvine T32 Training Program in Substance Use and Use disorders
- Drew Medical University
Keynote Speakers:
- Adam Leventhal, PhD – Director of USC Institute for Addiction Science
- Wilson Compton, MD MPE – Deputy Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse
We encourage you to invite any research trainees you work with to attend this retreat as this will be a wonderful opportunity for trainees to learn more about the addiction science research training programs that are going on in Southern California as well as network with other leaders in the field. There is no cost to attend and the invite is open to everyone, not just trainees. Email Vickie Williams at victoria.williams.0@usc.edu to RSVP.
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Marshall University has two open positions in their Psychology department. Marshall University is located in Huntington, WV, which is heavily impacted by the opioid epidemic. As such, there are excellent opportunities here for addictions researchers and clinicians, including some ongoing interdisciplinary efforts in both the university and the community. There are two tenure-track Assistant Professor positions available, with a third to be posted soon. The first position requires a degree in clinical or counseling psychology and includes teaching in the PsyD program as well as opportunities to work with undergraduates. The second is open regarding area, with a preference for individuals interested in teaching courses at all levels related to methodology and statistics. The third position should be posted soon and will also require a degree in clinical or counseling psychology and include teaching in our PsyD program. Please feel free to share this information with any students, post-docs, etc. who may be interested!
Research Team - Department of Population and Public Health Sciences
The Department of Population and Public Health Sciences is in search of: A dependable, flexible, and detail-oriented person is needed to join a research team at the University of Southern California to participate in new pilot studies related to substance use, including studies related to cannabis use during pregnancy. These studies are investigating harm reduction approaches to substance use, including how expanding cannabis legalization may worsen existing maternal health disparities.
Employment Involves:
(1) Data collection. Conducting one-on-one interviews and focus groups with study participants (e.g., people who inject drugs, women who use cannabis during pregnancy, young women who vape, health providers and midwives);
(2) Data analysis. Conducting data analysis (e.g., thematic analysis, grounded theory using ATLAS.ti);
(3) Project management. Supporting all study-related project and data management (e.g., Institutional Review Board submissions and related protocols, managing and storing data according to HIPAA, managing
transcription of data).
Excellent English writing and speaking skills are required, and bilingual in English and Spanish writing and speaking skills are ideal. The ideal candidate will have strong organizational capabilities, superb problem-solving skills, and a demonstrated ability to work independently while managing multiple tasks. Opportunities for mentorship and support in writing manuscript writing and peer-reviewed publications are available. Flexible hours on some evenings and weekends may be needed (e.g., conducting research interviews to accommodate study participants’ schedules). The majority of the work will be conducted remote from 9am-5pm Monday through Friday). Prior experience in a research environment is preferred.Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in the social sciences or in a health related field is preferred.
For more information or to apply, please email Rachel Carmen Ceasar, PhD, Assistant Professor of Population and Public Health Sciences at rceasar@usc.edu.
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PUBLICATIONS FROM IAS FACULTY
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Below are selected publications from the previous month (April 2023) from faculty members and scholars of the Institute for Addiction Science.
Barocas, J. A., Nall, S. K., Axelrath, S., Pladsen, C., Boyer, A., Kral, A. H., . . . Xia, M. (2023). Population-level health effects of involuntary displacement of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness who inject drugs in US cities. JAMA. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.4800
Davis, J. P., Pedersen, E. R., Borsari, B., Bowen, S., Owen, J., Sedano, A., . . . Bunyi, J. (2023). Development of a mobile mindfulness smartphone app for post-traumatic stress disorder and alcohol use problems for veterans: Beta test results and study protocol for a pilot randomized controlled trial. Contemporary Clinical Trials, 129, 107181. doi:10.1016/j.cct.2023.107181
Harlow, A. F., McConnell, R., Leventhal, A. M., Goodwin, R. D., & Barrington-Trimis, J. L. (2023). Racial, ethnic, and education differences in age of smoking initiation among young adults in the United States, 2002 to 2019. JAMA Network Open, 6(3). doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.5742
Johnson, E., Axeen, S., Vosooghi, A., Lam, C. N., Bluthenthal, R., & Schneberk, T. (2023). Interrupted time series analysis: Patient characteristics and rates of opioid-use-disorder-related emergency department visits in the Los Angeles County Public Hospital system during COVID-19. Healthcare, 11(7), 979. doi:10.3390/healthcare11070979
Lee, B. P., & Terrault, N. A. (2023). Liver transplantation for alcohol-associated liver disease: A call for national standards of best practices to monitor and bridge disparities in access and outcomes. American Journal of Transplantation. doi:10.1016/j.ajt.2023.03.026
Oh, H., Du, J., Karcher, N. R., Van der Ven, E., DeVylder, J. E., Smith, L., & Koyanagi, A. (2023). The separate and joint effects of recent interpersonal abuse and cannabis use on psychotic experiences: Findings from students in Higher Education in the United States. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology. doi:10.1007/s00127-023-02483-3
Rodgers, R. F., Smith, K., & Murray, S. B. (2023). Cognitive rigidity and restrictive eating disorders: Delineating the impact of low weight, low fat, weight suppression, acute negative energy balance, and chronic restriction. International Journal of Eating Disorders. doi:10.1002/eat.23937
Tran, D. D., Davis, J. P., Tucker, J. S., Bricker, J., Lee, D. S., Fitzke, R. E., & Pedersen, E. R. (2023). Cigarette smoking and depression among US veterans: Longitudinal associations with posttraumatic stress disorder. Nicotine and Tobacco Research. doi:10.1093/ntr/ntad064
Tran, D. D., Prince, M. A., Fitzke, R. E., Ring, C., Barrington-Trimis, J., & Pedersen, E. R. (2023). Preliminary development of the protective behavioral strategies for vaping scale. Addictive Behaviors, 144, 107728. doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2023.107728
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ADDICTION SCIENCE IN THE NEWS
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This section highlights a few news articles from the month highlighting research or programming from an IAS member or IAS research program, as well as articles related to addiction science.
Moderate Drinking Has No Health Benefits, Analysis of Decades of Research Finds
The New York Times, April 4th, 2023
As Mental Health Crisis Grows, More Doors Open to Care
The New York Times, April 11th, 2023
White House Designates Animal Sedative as an "Emerging Drug Threat"
The New York Times, April 12th. 2023
In Jails and Prisons, the White House Sees a Chance to Curtail Opioid Overdoses
The New York Times, April 21st, 2023
This Is What Neuroscientists and Philosophers Understand About Addiction
The New York Times, April 24th, 2023
Emergence of deadly fentanyl-xylazine combo 'tranq' worsens the addiction epidemic
USC News, April 27th, 2023
Sounds from nature: A soothing remedy for gambling addiction
Newswise, April 27th, 2023
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Trietler Addiction Science SCupport
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Continue the USC Day of SCupport by visiting the Trietler Family's donation page! By making a gift to the USC Institute for Addiction Science, you will be transforming and unifying the field of addiction science and substantially improving the lives of those touched by addiction. Thank you for your donation!
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