Meet Our Subject Area Experts

To schedule an interview with one of the following NIDA subject matter experts, please contact the NIDA Press Office at 301-443-6245 or media@nida.nih.

Nora D. Volkow, M.D.
Director
(Available for interviews in both English and Spanish)
Dr. Volkow is a world leader on the neurobiology of addiction. As director of NIDA, she oversees an annual budget of approximately $1 billion and a staff of 400 federal employees.

Areas of Expertise: Science of addiction; brain imaging; addiction as a brain disease; HEAL (Helping to End Addiction Long-term) initiative; prescription drug misuse; opioid addiction; effects of drugs on the teenage brain; stigma; Monitoring the Future survey of teen drug use

Wilson M. Compton, M.D., M.P.E.
Deputy Director

Areas of Expertise: Prescription drug misuse; opioid addiction; fentanyl; epidemiology; addiction prevention and treatment; Monitoring the Future survey of teen drug use; nicotine/tobacco addiction; e-cigarettes/vaping; Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study

Ruben Baler, Ph.D.
Health Scientist
(Available for interviews in both English and Spanish)

Areas of Expertise: Neurobiology of drug use and addiction; effects of drug use on the body and the brain; Monitoring the Future survey of teen drug use; anabolic steroids; marijuana; inhalants 

Michael Baumann, Ph.D.
Chief, Designer Drug Research Unit, Intramural Research Program

Areas of Expertise: Pharmacology and toxicology of newly-emerging designer drugs, including synthetic cathinones (e.g., “bath salts”) and synthetic cannabinoids (e.g., K2/“Spice”)

Carlos Blanco, M.D., Ph.D.
Director, Division of Epidemiology, Services, and Prevention Research
(Available for interviews in both English and Spanish)

Areas of Expertise: Epidemiology; addiction prevention and treatment; comorbidity, including mood, depression, or anxiety disorders; behavioral addiction

Antonello Bonci, M.D.
Director, Intramural Research Program
Scientific Director, NIDA
(Currently on sabbatical, available for interviews in both English and Italian)

Areas of Expertise: Optogenetics, Brain stimulation technologies (e.g. TMS, DBS), and long-term effects of cocaine and stress in the brain

Redonna Chandler, Ph.D. 
Director, AIDS Research Program

Areas of Expertise: Research on HIV/AIDS and drug use; HEALing Communities Study; NIDA Avant-Garde Awards; addiction prevention and treatment for criminal justice populations; evidence-based treatment in clinical practice

Gayathri Dowling, Ph.D.
Director, Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Project

Areas of Expertise: ABCD study, marijuana and the teenage brain, drugs and aging

Steven Gust, Ph.D.
Director, International Program/Special Assistant to the Director

Areas of Expertise: Global research, training and education; marijuana research; NIDA Drug Supply Program

Ivan Montoya, M.P.H., M.D.
Acting Director, Division of Therapeutics and Medical Consequences
(Available for interviews in both English and Spanish)

Areas of Expertise: Medications development; Focused OUD Medications Development Research Project; treatment of substance use disorders; addiction vaccine development; clinical trial data and safety monitoring

Jack Stein, M.S.W., Ph.D.
Director, Office of Science Policy and Communications

Areas of Expertise: Drug use and HIV-related research, science policy and practice; addiction prevention and treatment; prescription drug and opioid misuse; NIH HEAL (Helping to End Addiction Long-term) initiative on opioid research

David Thomas, Ph.D.
Health Scientist/NIDA NIH Pain Consortium Representative

Areas of Expertise: Prescription drug and opioid misuse and addiction; pain management; NIH Pain Consortium Centers of Excellence in Pain Education

Tisha Wiley, Ph.D
Associate Director for Justice Systems;  Chief, Service Research Branch

Areas of Research: Treatment in criminal justice populations; The Justice Community Opioid Innovation Network; services/research implementation science; opioid addiction treatment in the criminal justice system

Rita Valentino, Ph.D.
Director, Division of Neuroscience and Behavior

Areas of Expertise: Basic neuroscience; effects of social stress; sex differences; opioid neuropharmacology; neurobiological mechanisms; psychiatric disorders, including PTSD, anxiety and depression

Susan R.B. Weiss, Ph.D.
Director, Division of Extramural Research

Areas of Expertise: Science of addiction; marijuana science and policy; extramural research grant program and training; trans-NIH initiatives; Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study

For areas of expertise not listed, please contact the NIDA press office at 301-443-6245 or media@nida.nih.gov.