NJACTS Genetically informed Research, Education, And Treatment (GREAT) Core - Listening Session 1
2025-02-04 15:00 - 15:30 (America/New_York) | Virtual
The NJACTS Genetically informed Research, Education, And Treatment (GREAT) Core is hosting two Zoom-based listening sessions in February to learn from the NJACTS community about what topics to cover as part of upcoming GREAT programming. The GREAT Core supports translational science research capacity through consultation and training on genetically informed research designs and engages the broader community in understanding the role of genetics in health. Want to learn more about polygenic scoring, or how to navigate publicly available genetic data? We want to hear from you to best serve our community! Please use the registration links below to receive the Zoom link for the corresponding listening session. Can’t make the scheduled times? You can also request an individual 30-minute consultation here!

GREAT Listening Session 1: Tuesday, February 4, 2025 3:00-3:30 via Zoom Register Here!
GREAT Listening Session 2: Wednesday, February 12 10:30-11:00 AM via Zoom Register Here!

Rutgers Training in Addiction Research Program (TARP) Monthly Meeting featuring Nicholas Timme
2025-02-06 01:00 - 14:00 | Dean’s Conference Room, Research Tower, Busch Campus, 675 Hoes Lane, West Piscataway, 08854
Virtual via Zoom: https://rutgers.zoom.us/j/99315733283?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 993 1573 3283
Password: [REDACTED]

Rutgers Psychiatry Grand Rounds with Kristina Jackson, "Understanding Prevalence and Patterns of Substance in Youth with Autism"
2025-02-11 11:00 - 12:00 | Virtual
The Rutgers Department of Psychiatry is pleased to invite you join to us for our Grand Rounds Session on Tuesday, February 11, 2025 @ 11AM.

Meeting URL:
https://rutgers.zoom.us/j/96856675957?pwd=[REDACTED]

Meeting ID:
968 5667 5957

Password:
[REDACTED]

NJACTS Genetically informed Research, Education, And Treatment (GREAT) Core - Listening Session 2
2025-02-12 10:30 - 11:00 | Virtual

NIH HEAL Workshop: Health Economics Research to Address the Needs of those with Serious Mental Illness, Substance Use Disorder, and Comorbid Conditions
2025-02-14 10:00 - 16:00 | Virtual
The workshop will provide a forum for partners to engage with health economics researchers to share priorities and identify an agenda for rigorous health economics research to help meet the service needs of those with both serious mental illness and substance use disorder (SUD). See agenda below.
We encourage researchers, advocacy organizations, health system and community treatment providers, federal partners, policymakers, individuals with lived or living experience with SUD and serious mental illness, and others interested in supporting cost-effective and quality care to attend.
Topics include:

Economic Evaluation Approaches
Financing and Delivery Models
Special Populations
Integrating Treatment
Partner Engagement and Lived Experience Methods
Reflections on New Directions

Speakers and facilitators will include subject matter experts, dissemination and implementation partners, and federal staff. There will be opportunity for discussion and to ask questions.
Registration is open now.

Rutgers Psychiatry Grand Rounds featuring Jill Rabinowitz - "Leveraging Big Data & Community Partnerships to Improve Substance Use Disorder Recovery"
2025-02-18 11:00 - 12:00 | Virtual
The Rutgers Department of Psychiatry is pleased to invite you join to us for our Grand Rounds Session:

Zoom Meeting: https://rutgers.zoom.us/j/94822691020?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 948 2269 1020
Password: [REDACTED]

RARC Interest Group on Cannabis Hybrid Meeting featuring Kristina Jackson - Data from Cannabis Messaging Grant
2025-02-20 12:30 - 13:30 | UBHC Building, 671 Hoes Ln. W., Piscataway, NJ, 08854, United States
Join the RARC Interest Group on Cannabis for a presentation by Dr. Kristina Jackson, Associate Director, Epidemiology, Etiology & Prevention, RARC; Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, on CData from cannabis messaging grant. Open to all Rutgers-affiliated individuals.
In-person location: UBHC Building, Room D203, 671 Hoes Ln. W. Piscataway, NJ 08854
Virtual location: Zoom – If you are interested in attending this meeting virtually, please reach out to rarc@bhi.rutgers.edu for the meeting details.

Human Neuroscience Trainee Seminar featuring Sergej Grunevski - "Drug and Food Craving in Daily Life”
2025-02-24 12:00 - 13:00 | Hybrid Event
The Rutgers Brain Health Institute (BHI) and Center for Advanced Human Brain Imaging Research (CAHBIR) are hosting a seminar series on the last Monday of each month. This series features presentations by graduate students and postdoctoral scholars, providing a platform to share their research with the broader Rutgers neuroscience community. It is open to all trainees conducting human neuroscience research in BHI laboratories. This is a great opportunity to:

Gain experience presenting research
Receive feedback from peers
Prepare for conferences, job talks, and dissertations

Talk Title: “Drug and Food Craving in Daily Life”
Speaker: Sergej Grunevski (Graduate Student, PI: Anna Konova)
In-Person: Room 127, Staged Research Building (SRB), Busch Campus
RSVP: Please add yourself to the RSVP list to help us estimate lunch needs!
Zoom: https://rutgers.zoom.us/j/98124487248?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 981 2448 7248
Password: [REDACTED]

2025 Texas Substance Use Symposium (TxSUS) - Science Matters
2025-02-27 09:00 - 2025-02-28 16:00
The Texas Substance Use Symposium (TxSUS) is an interdisciplinary, no-cost conference offered both in-person and virtually dedicated to reducing the impact of substance use in Texas. Over 900 professionals from healthcare, behavioral health, recovery, and public safety sectors gather to tackle local challenges and find solutions. Featuring national experts, interactive sessions, research presentations, and networking opportunities, TxSUS equips attendees with the tools and knowledge needed to drive real change. .
This event provides a unique opportunity to earn complimentary continuing education credits while exploring a wide range of educational sessions, focused on treatment and recovery from clinical, research, policy, and community perspectives.
Don’t miss out on this dynamic event—registration is open, and spaces are filling quickly. Secure your spot today! Click here to register.

GENA Program and NJACTS GREAT Core: Guest Seminar with Dr. Emily Hartwell - "Disentangling the genetics of comorbid substance use and depression"
2025-02-28 11:00 - 12:00 | UBHC Building, 671 Hoes Ln. W., Piscataway, NJ, 08854, United States
Join us in-person or via Zoom for this hybrid Guest Seminar – Emily Hartwell, Ph.D. (Philadelphia VA Medical Center and University of Pennsylvania) will give a talk on “Disentangling the genetics of comorbid substance use and depression” on Friday, February 28 11:00-12:00.

In-person location: UBHC North D203. (671 Hoes Ln W, Piscataway, NJ 08854)

Zoom link is: https://rutgers.zoom.us/j/99324771427?pwd=[REDACTED]

If you would like to schedule a 1-1 meeting during Dr. Hartwell’s campus visit, please contact host Dr. Jessica Salvatore at jessica.salvatore@rutgers.edu.

This event is co-sponsored by the Genes, Neurodevelopment, and Addictions Program in the Center for Psychiatric Health and Genomics and the NJACTS Genetically Informed Research, Education, and Treatment Core.

Rutgers Health – Spring Community Partner Learning Collaborative: Pathways to Progress Enhancing Care Coordination for SUD
2025-03-04 12:30 - 15:00 | 185 South Orange Ave, 185 South Orange Ave, Newark, NJ
Rutgers Health & NJMATCE: We are excited to announce our Spring Learning Collaborative!
Join for an engaging interdisciplinary panel discussion featuring ten professionals specializing in care coordination for substance use disorders (SUD). The expert panel will address key questions shaping the future of integrated care, collaboration, and patient-centered approaches in the field. This event is designed for professionals committed to improving outcomes for individuals with SUD.
Topic Highlights:
-Social Determinants of Health
-Support Integration
-Continuity of Care
For registration, click here.

BHI PAWG Trainee Winter Retreat
2025-03-05 09:30 - 15:30 | Busch Student Center, 604 Bartholomew Rd, Piscataway, NJ, 08854
BHI’s Postdoctoral Alliance Working Group (PAWG) is proud to present the first BHI Trainee Retreat! The program consists of a grant writing workshop with tip/tricks, grant writing Panel with Study Section Experts, transition to the next steps in academia & industry, and “How to Manage in the lab” workshop. The lineup of speakers features experts from industry, academia, and even the business department.

Event Details

Date: Wednesday, March 5, 2025
Time: 9:30 AM – 3:30 PM
Location: Busch Student Center, Room 120, 604 Bartholomew Rd, Piscataway, NJ 08854

This retreat will feature speakers from academia, industry, and even the business department, offering valuable insights into various aspects of career and professional development.
Please RSVP by February 12 via this link.

Reserving your spot ensures your food preferences are accommodated, though walk-ins will be welcomed on the day as space allows.

Rutgers Psychiatry Grand Rounds - RWJMS General Psychiatry Residents - Dr. Megan Chang and Dr. Echelle Cho
2025-03-11 11:00 - 12:00 | Virtual
The Rutgers Department of Psychiatry is pleased to invite you join to us for our Grand Rounds Session on Tuesday, March 11, 2025 @ 11AM. This is a notably exciting presentation because we will hear from two of our General Psychiatry Residents from RWJMS.
Zoom link: https://rutgers.zoom.us/j/96856675957?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 968 5667 5957
Password: [REDACTED]

Training in Addiction Research Program (TARP) Monthly Meeting with Dr. Ethan Cowan
2025-03-12 13:00 - 14:00 | Hybrid Event
In-person Location: Classroom V14, located in the basement of the Research Tower, Busch Campus, 675 Hoes Ln W, Piscataway, NJ 08854
Virtual via Zoom: CLICK HERE
Meeting ID: 974 5070 8251
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.

RARC Treatment & Recovery Workgroup Hybrid Meeting
2025-03-13 13:00 - 14:00 | Medical Sciences Building, 185 S Orange Ave, Newark, NJ, 07103
RSVP by March 10
Registration: CLICK HERE!

Virtual Location: https://rutgers.zoom.us/j/98748654403?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 987 4865 4403
Password: [REDACTED]

NASEM Workshop - Addressing the Impact of Tobacco and Alcohol Use on Cancer-Related Health Outcomes
2025-03-17 08:30 - 2025-03-18 17:30 | Hybrid Event
The use of both alcohol and tobacco has independent and synergistic health effects, including links to many different cancers. There is a clear need to better understand the impact of dual use on cancer incidence and outcomes, to improve public education, and to develop oncology clinical practice guidelines for patients who use alcohol and tobacco. The National Cancer Policy Forum, in collaboration with the Forum on Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders, will host a hybrid public workshop, March 17-18, 2025, to examine strategies to reduce tobacco and alcohol use to lower cancer risk, improve health outcomes for all, and more.
March 17, 2025 | 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. ET
March 18, 2025 | 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. ET
Learn more on the event page.

Joint Meeting on Youth Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery
2025-03-18 09:00 - 2025-03-20 17:00 | Baltimore, MD
An annual national conference that brings together practice, research, and policy to reduce the gaps in substance use prevention, treatment, and recovery services for youth and families.

Keynote Addresses from Globally Recognized Leaders:Experience thought-provoking talks from distinguished researchers, clinicians, and policymakers that will further inspire and inform you on youth substance use prevention, treatment, and recovery.
Engaging Panels, Workshops, and Poster Presentations: Join dynamic panels, hands-on workshops, lively roundtable discussions, and more that promote innovation, while exploring cutting-edge research and connecting with emerging thinkers in our poster sessions.
Networking Opportunities: Connect, collaborate, and create lasting relationships with like-minded professionals during dedicated networking sessions.
Continuing Education Credits: Enhance your professional development with valuable continuing education credits available throughout our Joint Meeting.
Session Recordings: Can’t attend every session? No problem. After the Joint Meeting, you will have access to recordings of key presentations to catch up on all the insights you may have missed.

For more information, click here.

Rutgers Psychiatry Grand Rounds - Dr. Marc L. Marc Steinberg, "Tobacco Use and Mental Health"
2025-03-18 11:00 - 12:00 | Virtual
The Rutgers Department of Psychiatry is pleased to invite you join to us for our Grand Rounds Session on Tuesday, March 18, 2025 @ 11AM.

GSAPP Webinar - Resurgence of Cocaine Use in Employed Adults: The Role of Office-Based Psychotherapists in Early Intervention and Treatment
2025-03-21 09:00 - 12:30 | Virtual
Cocaine use in the U.S. is rising again, accompanied by a troubling increase in overdose deaths due to fentanyl-laced cocaine. Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid 50 times more potent than heroin, significantly heightens the risks associated with cocaine use. Recent surveys show a resurgence in cocaine use, particularly among employed men aged 25 to 45. Mental health clinicians in office-based practice are often the first point of contact for functional adults grappling with cocaine and other substance use issues. As such, it is crucial for therapists—regardless of their specialty or professional background—to be equipped with the knowledge and skills to identify, assess, and treat substance use disorders, and/or to refer patients for specialized care when necessary. Early intervention by clinicians can greatly improve treatment outcomes, mitigating both personal and professional consequences of untreated substance use. In the case of cocaine, timely action can also prevent fentanyl-related overdose deaths. This webinar is designed to enhance participants’ understanding of the distinct features of cocaine and opioids, as well as the clinical considerations that set them apart from other psychoactive substances. It will introduce a set of therapeutic interventions for assessing, motivating, and treating clients with substance use problems in an office-based psychotherapy setting. The approach described is rooted in a client-centered, individualized framework that supports both harm reduction and abstinence goals to optimize treatment engagement, retention, and clinical outcomes. The role of medication-assisted treatment will also be discussed.
Live Zoom Webinar
Instructor: Arnold Washton, PhD
For more information and registration, click here.

Urban Mental Health Conference - Innovative Approaches & Emerging Therapies
2025-03-28 08:00 - 15:00
Registration: https://njms.rutgers.edu/departments/psychiatry/umh.php
This conference will explore innovative approaches and emerging therapies to address the challenges posed by substance use. The conference will provide an interdisciplinary platform for healthcare professionals, researchers, policy makers, and educators to share knowledge, discuss practical applications, and collaborate on solutions to combat addiction and its related harms.

The Science Coalition - The Science of Addiction and Mental Health
2025-04-02 08:30 - 22:00 | Dirksen Senate Office Building, 50 Constitution Ave NE, Washington, DC, 20002
Join The Science Coalition for The Science of Addiction and Mental Health, a compelling discussion on how the nation’s top research institutions are advancing solutions to address addiction and mental health challenges.
This event will bring together leading experts, policymakers, and researchers to explore the latest scientific breakthroughs and policies shaping the future of addiction treatment and mental health care.
We are also excited that ESPN sports reporter and Shatterproof author, Lauren Sisler, will be joining us to share her personal insights and experiences for this important conversation.
Location: Dirksen Senate Office Building, Room 106 (SD-106)
Time: 8:30 AM ET (Doors open at 8:00 AM ET)
Registration: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-science-of-addiction-and-mental-health-tickets-1236220872909

APS Webinar - Delivering Clear Research Talks
2025-04-02 15:00 - 16:00 | Virtual
Sitting through a symposium can be the most interesting part of a conference or the least engaging depending on the quality of the talk. This webinar will review strategies for clear and engaging research talks so people who watch them will talk about your research for the rest of the weekend.

Learning Outcomes:

Present research clearly in a symposium talk
Understand the function of different sections of a research talk
Craft memorable conclusion sections

Speakers:

Emily Fyfe, Associate Professor, University of Indiana Bloomington
Timo B. Roettger, Professor, University of Oslo
Robert M. Sellers, Professor, University of Michigan
Alexa Tompary, Assistant Professor, Drexel University

For more information, click here.

Learning Series Webinar - The Link Between Alcohol Use, Treatment & Opioid-Related Harms
2025-04-10 11:00 - 12:00 | Virtual
Learn about different aspects of the opioid epidemic from local, state and national experts.

Speaker: Dan Blalock, PhD

Dan Blalock is a Medical Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Duke University School of Medicine. He is also a health services researcher at the Center of Innovation to Advance Discovery and Practice Transformation (ADAPT) in the Durham VA Healthcare System, and serves as leader of the center’s Mental and Behavioral Research Core. Dan is also a licensed clinical psychologist in North Carolina. His research interests include the evaluation of current integrated behavioral health settings in health care systems to optimize future implementation efforts, with a specific focus on substance use – including alcohol use and opioid use.
For more information, click here.

NeC-ROTAC Webinar - Advocacy, Organizing, and Communication Strategies to Advance Rural Addiction Policy
2025-04-10 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual
This presentation will provide practical knowledge of how to communicate a rural health evidence-base to policymakers and engage in advocacy to promote policy goals. Rural health stakeholders are uniquely positioned to advocate on behalf of policy issues such as the need for increased access to care and healthcare investments within historically disadvantaged communities. While individuals often have a desire to engage in the advocacy or policymaking process, they operate without a clear understanding of how to do so. This presentation will outline different roles in advocacy campaigns, as well as functions of and actors within the advocacy ecosystem. In doing so, this presentation will give participants a basic understanding of how each mechanism impacts the policymaking process, and how to operate within the broader policymaking ecosystem as rural health policy advocates.
Trainer: Matthew Braun, MS, BA
Registration: click here.

NJHRC's Monthly Person-Centered Overdose Education & Naloxone Training
2025-04-11 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual
Evidence shows that among the most likely to witness an overdose are people who use drugs, care providers, neighbors, and loved ones – none of which are mutually exclusive, and all of which may include you. NJHRC will be hosting monthly virtual Overdose Education & Naloxone training to learn how to identify and respond to an opioid overdose with rescue breaths, naloxone, and radical love. Our program will also cover the nuances surrounding current drug supply trends, with updated information as overdose responses evolve in correlation. By centering the safety and autonomy of both the individual receiving care and the responder, we can produce better outcomes for the community at large.
Join us for our next training to learn how to respond to an overdose and keep your community safer.
Attendees in New Jersey can email mailing@njharmreduction.org or call/text 1-877-4NARCAN if they’d like to receive a free naloxone kit and/or other safer use supplies by mail. Conversations on drug policy and drug supply may be centered around New Jersey, but you are welcome in this training no matter your location.
This virtual training will be held on Zoom on the second Friday of every month. (April 11, May 9, June 12, July 11, Aug 8, Sept 12, Oct 11)
Register now to reserve your spot!

TARP Annual Symposium featuring Keynote Speaker, Paul J Kenny, Ph.D.
2025-04-11 13:00 - 18:00 | CABM Room 010 + atrium
Join us for the Rutgers Training in Addiction Research Program (TARP) Annual Symposium. This year’s event will feature keynote speaker Paul J. Kenny, Ph.D., Director of the Drug Discovery Institute and Ward-Coleman Professor & Chair of Neuroscience at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. The day will also include a trainee lunch with Dr. Kenny, presentations from TARP graduate and postdoctoral trainees, and conclude with an undergraduate poster session and reception.
Trainee Lunch with Paul J. Kenny – If you’re interested in attending, please register here.
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In-person location: Room 010, Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine (CABM), 679 Hoes Ln W, Piscataway, NJ 08854
Zoom (starts at 1:00 p.m.): https://rutgers.zoom.us/j/91569402330?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 915 6940 2330; Password: [REDACTED]

April 11_TARP Symposium Program

NJ ACTS Special Populations Seminar with Julie R. Gaither, "The Impact of the Opioid Crisis on Infants, Children, and Adolescents
2025-04-15 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual
Join the NJ ACTS Special Populations Core 2025 Seminar Series – “The Impact of the Opioid Crisis on Infants, Children, and Adolescents” with Julie R. Gaither, PhD.
The presentation will provide an overview of how the pediatric community has been impacted by the opioid crisis. An overview of trends in pediatric morbidity and mortality related to opioids in general and fentanyl specifically will be provided. The talk will also present recent data related to the circumstances behind fatal pediatric opioid poisonings and the risk of maltreatment among infants, young children, and adolescents.
Dr. Gaither is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics (General Pediatrics) and Public Health (Chronic Disease Epidemiology). She obtained her doctorate in epidemiology from the Yale School of Public Health in 2015. After completing a post-doctoral fellowship in bioinformatics, she joined the faculty of the Yale School of Medicine in the Department of Pediatrics. Her research focuses on the impact of the opioid crisis on vulnerable populations, work she began more than a decade ago as part of her dissertation research, for which she received a National Research Service Award from the NIH to study the association between opioid prescribing practices and all-cause mortality among U.S. veterans. In 2015, she began working on a project that allowed her to bridge her interests in adult medicine with that of pediatrics, which resulted in the first national publication to examine hospitalizations for opioid poisonings in children. She followed this work with the first national study to examine pediatric deaths from opioids. Prior to these publications, most of what was known about opioid-related morbidity and mortality came from the adult overdose literature. Her research has been supported by awards from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), the National Center for Advancing Translational Science, the Patterson Trust, the Hood Foundation, and most recently, the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development (NICHD).
Register for the event: https://go.rutgers.edu/5almfux

Jackson Lab Undergraduate Career Breakfast
2025-04-16 09:30 - 10:30 | Room D203, University Behavioral Health Care building, 671 Hoes Ln W, Piscataway, 08854
We’re excited to invite professors, graduate students, post-docs, and undergraduate research assistants to an informal breakfast where researchers can share their career journeys and experiences. This is a great opportunity to discuss how to develop research interests, shape academic paths, and to answer questions from the next generation of researchers.

The event will be held in D203 in UBHC on Wednesday 16-April at 9:30 am. Feel free to drop in if you cannot attend the entire event or to join us via zoom if you cannot attend in person. Please confirm your attendance using this link: Career Breakfast Attendee Confirmation.

Motivational & Affective Neuroscience FAWG Plenary featuring Abraham Palmer, "The Genetic Basis of Substance Use Disorders: What we've Learned from Humans and Rats"
2025-04-16 12:00 - 13:00 | CABM, Room 010, Busch Campus, Piscataway
“The Genetic Basis of Substance Use Disorders: What we’ve Learned from Humans and Rats”

Abraham Palmer, PhD
Professor of Psychiatry
University of California – San Diego

In-Person: Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine, Room 010, 679 Hoes Ln W. Piscataway, NJ 08854

Zoom: Https://rutgers.zoom.us/j/96022114677?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 960 2211 4677
Password: [REDACTED]

Join By Phone +1 646 558 8656 US (New York)

SSW Webinar - Social Media: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly from a Social Work Perspective
2025-04-17 18:00 - 21:00 | Virtual
This webinar will examine the impact social media, music, and advertising have on today’s society. Overexposure to certain media outlets can influence how people develop their value system and how they make decisions on moral issues and peer relationships. We know this to be particularly true with individuals who have experienced trauma and significant losses. By examining music, videos, and advertisement campaigns, we identify the negative impact of imagery and subliminal messages, and discuss ways to help individuals identify why they make the choices they make online. We will explore how to increase media literacy by educating and empowering individuals to use critical thinking skills and to see the direct and unintended consequences associated with technology. The importance of legislative advocacy will also be discussed.

Instructor:
Qur-an Webb, MSW

Date:
Thursday, April 17, 2025

Time:
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm ET

Registration: click here.
