Addiction Disorders | Penn Today

Elizabeth Heller’s lab uncovers how drug addiction can create lasting changes in genes

Leading a neuroepigenetics lab at her alma mater, Heller and the work of her 10-person lab is focused on molecular brain mechanisms, aiming to uncover chronic changes that can happen and keep happening in the brain long after exposure to addictive substances ends.

Three medical personnel in face masks and shields reviewing paperworks.

Overcoming barriers to treatment for opioid use disorder

New research shows that emergency departments can be a gateway to medications for opioid use disorder.

The origins of the opioid epidemic

The study, “Origins of the Opioid Crisis and its Enduring Impacts” examines the role of the 1996 introduction and marketing of OxyContin as a potential leading cause of the opioid crisis.

An ultrasound technician looks at an ultrasound on a screen in a hospital.

Pregnancy and opioid-use disorder: How to keep pregnant patients and babies healthy

At the Perinatal Resources for Opioid Use Disorder (PROUD) Clinic at Penn Family Care, patients are screened for mental health conditions and supported with integrated care before, during, and after pregnancy.

Barriers and facilitators in treating opioid addiction in the ER

Despite effective medications for opioid use disorder, such as buprenorphine and methadone, few people receive treatment. The ongoing challenge is to expand access to these lifesaving treatments to people who need them the most.

WHYY (Philadelphia)

What makes addiction a disease?

Charles O’Brien and Daniel Langleben of the Perelman School of Medicine discussed the brain’s reward system and its relationship to addiction.

Boots on the ground for the opioid task force

Opioid addiction is a “public health emergency,” according to the Department of Health and Human Services. Overdose deaths involving opioids—both prescription and illegal—have increased fivefold between 1999 and 2016.

From addiction and loss to recovery and empathy: Q&A with Nicole O’Donnell

At Penn Medicine’s Center of Excellence, the certified recovery specialist reaches out to people who are addicted in need of support and guidance, drawing on her own experience to be uniquely helpful and intuitive for people who need the most help.

Philadelphia Inquirer

How opioids reshape your brain, and what scientists are learning about addiction

Henry Kranzler and Wade Berrettini of the Perelman School of Medicine discussed the role of genetics in addiction and the effects of opioid use on the brain.

Research from Penn’s Heath Schmidt revealed that drugs already approved by the FDA to treat diabetes and obesity may reduce cocaine relapse and help addicted people break the habit

A potential new weapon in the battle against addiction

New research revealed that FDA-approved drugs to treat diabetes and obesity may reduce cocaine relapse and help addicts break the habit. Such medications work by targeting receptors for glucagon-like peptide 1, a hormone in the brain.

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