As part of the Substance Use Disorder Grand Challenge, two internationally recognized experts in substance use treatment and research will present lectures at The University of New Mexico.
Katie Witkiewitz, Regents’ Professor, Department of Psychology, along with Brandi Fink, assistant professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences are the co-lead conveners of the Substance Use Disorders Grand Challenge. The collaborative venture combines two approaches to reduce alcohol, opioid, and other substance mortality. Together, they are hosting lectures as part of the collaboration designed to provide information highlighting some of the issues affecting substance use disorders.
Dr. Michael Otto, a professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Senior Fellow at the Institute for Health System Innovation and Policy at Boston University, presents “Identifying and intervening with self-control lapses: A focus on emotional intolerance and working memory capacity,” on March 22 at 11 a.m.
Otto has been identified as a “top producer” in the clinical empirical literature, with particular attention to investigating the brain-behavior relationships to treat individuals suffering from addiction as well as for health behavior promotion. Currently, Otto is supported by five active awards from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).
On Thursday, April 11 at 11 a.m., Dr. Sean Murphy, an associate professor of Research in the Division of Comparative Effectiveness & Outcomes Research Department of Healthcare Policy & Research at Weill Cornell Medical College, presents “Cost-effectiveness of extended-release naltrexone versus buprenorphine-naloxone to prevent opioid relapse.”
Murphy is widely recognized for his work documenting the relative costs and benefits of alternative opiate replacement strategies for individuals struggling with opiate addiction. Currently, Murphy is supported by 11 active awards from the National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse (NIAAA), National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
With the support of the Center on Alcoholism, Substance Abuse and Addictions (CASAA), these presentations will provide an overview of transdiagnostic factors that impair self-control in relation to addictive behaviors and the cost-benefits of opiate-replacement treatments. These presentations are open to the public and all interested faculty, students, and community members are encouraged to attend.
Both presentations will be at CASAA, which is located at 2650 Yale Blvd SE (free parking).