CHERISH Events

The NIDA’s research training and career development team invites undergraduates, recent graduates, and early career scholars to join a 5-part virtual series to learn about graduate programs to consider and high priority areas within substance use and addiction research. Learn more about the sessions: July 2, 2025: "Should I Apply to Graduate School." Come ready to learn from Christie Brannock as she discusses different types of graduate programs, how to find them, the application process/timeline, and receive expert tips/advice on this next stage in your academic journey. July 9, 2025: Dr. Tisha Wiley from NIDA's Division of Epidemiology, Services and Prevention Research (DESPR) will be presenting on "Improving Treatment and Recovery Services for Adolescents & Young Adults." This seminar will cover approaches to addressing addiction in adolescents and young adults, including increasing uptake of effective interventions such as Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUDs), engaging family and loved ones, and long-term recovery. July 16, 2025: NIDA substance use disorders (SUD) researchers and career development professionals including Drs. Catalina Lopez-Quintero, Charles Parry, Silvia Cruz, and Jeffrey Samet will engage in a panel discussion on "Identifying and Collaborating with Research Mentors.” July 23, 2025: Dr. Tristan McClure-Begley from NIDA's Division of Neuroscience and Behavior (DNB) will provide an in-depth discussion on “Quantifying Internal States Relevant to Substance Use" which will introduce behavioral pharmacology approaches used to study the effects of psychoactive substances, examples of commonly used addictive and therapeutic drugs, and how new technology is changing how we measure drug effects. July 30, 2025: Dr. Lorenzo Leggio from NIDA’s IRP will provide a presentation on “Unlocking New Treatments for Addiction: A Scientific Journey Through the Gut-Brain Axis” which will explore emerging basic, translational, and clinical evidence supporting the role of gut-brain neuroendocrine pathways (e.g., glucagon-like peptide-1) in addictive disorders, highlighting these pathways as potential targets for the development of novel treatments.

Connect with CHERISH Research Affiliates, Advisory Board members, and pilot grant recipients in person as they present their research at #ASHEcon2025.

The Society for Medical Decision Making (SMDM) North American Meeting brings together high-quality oral and poster presentations, short courses, symposia presentations, and workshops from all disciplines involved in the study of decision making in health and medicine. Connect with CHERISH researchers and colleagues attending this year and view the full program online.

Follow the itinerary below to connect with CHERISH researchers and colleagues attending #CPDD25 or view the full conference program on their website.

Follow our schedule to connect with CHERISH researchers and colleagues attending the 2025 Society for Epidemiologic Research Conference. View the full program online.

Follow the itinerary below to connect with CHERISH researchers and colleagues attending AcademyHealth's Annual Research Conference. View the full conference program on their website.

In recent decades, countless new synthetic drugs have entered the underground drug supply, and overdose deaths and other drug-related harms have skyrocketed as a result. Media, policymakers, and the general public are concerned — but often misguided — in their attempts to address the issue because they lack accurate information about drugs and drug supply changes. This four-part series will explore the most commonly used new and emerging synthetic drugs in the United States, the geographic trends in where and when these drugs have spread, and the demographic trends in who is impacted by these drugs. Panelists will examine the risks and harms faced by people who use drugs and discuss the role of harm reduction and medical providers in reducing overdose and health risks. We know that current drug policies fuel and will continue to incentivize new, and likely, more dangerous drugs. We will envision solutions that are just as innovative and nimble as these new markets. Join this new series starting in March: March 13, 2025 | 3:00pm – 5:00pm ET | Keynote and Panel 1: Understanding the Current Drug Supply (Recording) April 10, 2025 | 3:30pm – 5:00pm ET | Panel 2: Addressing Myths, Misinformation, and Real Harms (Recording) May 8, 2025 | 3:30pm – 5:00pm ET | Panel 3: Understanding Drug Markets (Recording) May 29, 2025 | 3:00pm – 5:00pm ET | Panel 4: Scaling Up Drug Checking, Envisioning Safe Supply, and Exploring New Horizons

This free virtual workshop, open to all, includes a robust agenda that demonstrates how health economics research informs treatment and care for people with substance use disorder, mental health illnesses, and related conditions. Co-led by NIH HEAL Initiative, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the half-day workshop and forum features multidisciplinary experts in health economics and health services research, including CHERISH investigators Yuhua Bao, Sean M. Murphy, and Bruce Schackman; CHERISH Research Affiliates Todd Olmstead, Erica Crable, Beth McGinty, and Catherine Maclean; and former pilot grant recipient Sierra Castedo De Martell. Researchers, advocacy organizations, health system and community treatment providers, federal partners, policymakers, individuals with lived or living experience with substance use disorder and serious mental illness, and others interested in supporting cost-effective and quality care are welcome to attend, connect with the panelists, and share research priorities to consider.

Join HEALing Communities Study researchers, including CHERISH Director Bruce Schackman and CHERISH investigator Alexander Walley, CHERISH Research Affiliate Daniel Feaster , CHERISH Advisory Board member Jeffrey Samet, and additional addiction experts for a day of learning about using team science and community engagement to fight addiction and overdose deaths. For the full agenda and details about all sessions and speakers, please visit the HCS New York website.

For researchers who are new to health economic evaluations, join this session to learn how to integrate health economic methods into your work. This workshop introduces concepts of health economics in the context of substance use research and shares resources to help researchers understand how economic evaluations can help elevate their projects.

Hosted by the SMDM Career Development Committee, this session provides mid-career researchers guidance on how to write a personal statement for promotion. Moderated by Christine M. Gunn and Katie Martinez, this webinar features CHERISH Population Data & Modeling Core Director Benjamin Linas and speakers from the University of Pennsylvania and University of Michigan.

Join National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and the Health and Medicine Division on December 5 for a public webinar on the use of opioid settlement dollars for the abatement of mental health and substance use disorders. Effective mental health and substance use disorder models in different settings, innovative state examples, and how to use these dollars effectively will be discussed. The webinar features CHERISH Advisory Board member Rosalie Pacula and CHERISH Research Affiliates Michael Dennis and Brendan Saloner.