Researchers address need for bridges in remote Alaska as climate warms
Sep 13, 2021
Bridges are increasingly critical for remote communities in rural Alaska, where global warming is causing rivers to freeze later, thaw earlier and form thinner ice. With a new grant from the National Science Foundation, researchers at Penn State plan to investigate the importance of bridges for the…News Topics: CCSARural Sociology
Human development and family studies professor joins Recovery Rising initiative
Jun 22, 2021
H. Harrington ‘Bo’ Cleveland, professor of human development and family studies at Penn State and SSRI cofunded faculty member, has been appointed to the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs’ Recovery Rising initiative. Recovery Rising works to foster a resilient, diverse and…
Annual substance-use conference examines cross-systems solutions
May 26, 2021
The Penn State Consortium to Combat Substance Abuse (CCSA) hosted its second annual conference, “Addressing Substance Use: Cross-Systems Solutions,” on Monday, May 3. Held virtually via Zoom and drawing over 120 attendees throughout the day, the conference kicked off with a welcome from Stephanie…News Topics: CCSASubstance Use
Addressing stigma and discrimination one story at a time
Mar 23, 2021
The Story Powered Initiative is a newly relaunched nationally focused initiative that addresses stigma and discrimination through sharing individual stories. Founded and led by Glenn Sterner, assistant professor of criminal justice at Penn State Abington and Consortium to Combat Substance Abuse (…News Topics: Substance AbuseCCSA
Penn State researchers combat problems of substance misuse
Mar 23, 2021
The misuse of alcohol, opioids, and other substances poses many serious, well-known risks to people’s health and communities. During the COVID-19 pandemic, economic stress, social isolation, and anxiety about the future may have deepened the public health emergency posed by substance misuse and…News Topics: CCSASubstance Abuse
Annual substance use and addiction conference to be held virtually on May 3
Mar 17, 2021
Penn State’s Consortium to Combat Substance Abuse (CCSA) will hold its second annual conference to bring together researchers, practitioners, policymakers, foundation representatives and the public to discuss significant and emerging problems in combating substance use and addiction. “Addressing…News Topics: CCSASubstance Abuse
Consortium to Combat Substance Abuse seeks applications for seed grant program
Mar 8, 2021
The Consortium to Combat Substance Abuse (CCSA), part of the Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) at Penn State, has announced an invitation for Level 2 pilot research projects aimed at addressing issues related to substance use and addiction. The program seeks interdisciplinary Penn State…News Topics: CCSA
Two Penn State researchers contribute to fight against human trafficking
Feb 8, 2021
Two Penn State researchers are contributing to the fight against human trafficking, acting as leaders and speakers at the First Annual Regional Human Trafficking Summit For Advocates Against Human Trafficking, taking place on Feb. 9-10, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Glenn Sterner, assistant professor of…
Consortium to Combat Substance Abuse seeks co-funded faculty position candidates
Feb 5, 2021
The Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) has announced an invitation for applications from departments across the Penn State system for a co-funded faculty position as part of the Consortium to Combat Substance Abuse (CCSA). Addressing one of the University’s aims in its Strategic Plan, "…News Topics: CCSASSRI cofunds
Building bridges to improve drug misuse prevention
Dec 1, 2020
Many agencies at the national, state and local levels are working to address the nation’s drug and alcohol misuse crisis. While this provides numerous opportunities for individuals to receive support, efforts across these agencies are often not closely coordinated. A new million-dollar award from…News Topics: Substance AbuseCCSA
Join CCSA for Giving Tuesday on December 1
Nov 24, 2020
The Consortium to Combat Substance Abuse (CCSA) needs your help to support research focused on helping individuals and families through the opioid crisis and greater substance use issues. Our work draws on the expertise of researchers, educators, and practitioners from Penn State campuses to…News Topics: CCSAGiving Tuesday
Engineering professor named as new Consortium to Combat Substance Abuse director
Nov 20, 2020
Paul Griffin, professor of industrial and manufacturing engineering and recently returning Penn State faculty member, will become the next interim director of the Consortium to Combat Substance Abuse (CCSA) beginning in summer 2021. Griffin, an expert in health systems engineering, is already a co-…News Topics: CCSASubstance Abuse
Four researchers join the Social Science Research Institute
Sep 23, 2020
Four Penn State researchers have joined the Consortium to Combat Substance Abuse, part of the Social Science Research Institute, including faculty members from the colleges of Engineering, Earth and Mineral Sciences, and Health and Human Development. The Consortium to Combat Substance Abuse (CCSA)…News Topics: SSRI cofundsCCSA
Impacts of the coronavirus on parental substance abuse
Sep 2, 2020
Market research regarding substance use during the COVID-19 pandemic shows alcoholic beverage sales increased by about 55% in March compared to March of last year, while sales of combustible cigarettes increased across several countries. Meanwhile, the Overdose Detection Mapping Application…
Turrisi advises parents in a new video series about teen alcohol use
May 21, 2020
Parents with questions about how to protect their teens from the dangers of alcohol and other drugs can now receive research-based advice from videos featuring Robert Turrisi, a Penn State professor of biobehavioral health with more than 35 years of experience in researching underage drinking.…
Prenatal substance exposure may impact adolescent attitudes toward gun violence
Apr 14, 2020
The wave of mass shootings across the United States in the last two decades has reignited the discussion of gun violence and the role it plays on childhood development. New research has found that prenatal substance exposure may contribute to positive attitudes toward guns and violence among…
The Real Dangers of Equating Opioid Dependence with Addiction
Jan 22, 2020
The National Prevention Science Coalition to Improve Lives (NPSC) and the Congressional Addiction, Treatment and Recovery Caucus (ATR) co-hosted a briefing with internationally recognized experts to discuss the dual challenges of addiction and dependence in developing policy responses to the…
Marijuana policies: A call to shift from a criminal justice approach to a public health approach
Jan 9, 2020
By Elizabeth Long and Diana Fishbein, opinion contributors for The Hill Despite the billions of dollars, marijuana prohibition has cost society; this strategy has failed to protect communities. Instead, it has caused great harm, particularly for marginalized populations. These adverse outcomes are…
Popular electronic cigarette may deliver nicotine more effectively than others
Nov 18, 2019
When it comes to nicotine delivery, not all electronic cigarettes are created equally, according to Penn State researchers. New research from Penn State College of Medicine shows that JUUL, a popular pod-based electronic cigarette, can deliver more nicotine at a faster rate than most other types of…
Registration open for fifth annual Penn State Addiction Symposium on Dec. 10
Nov 14, 2019
Registration is open for Penn State Addiction Center for Translation’s fifth annual Penn State Addiction Symposium. This symposium will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Dec. 10 at Junker Auditorium, Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. This symposium will feature preclinical and…
Krug joins SSRI
Nov 13, 2019
Please welcome Public Relations Specialist Melissa Krug to SSRI. Melissa is responsible for the communications efforts of the Consortium to Combat Substance Abuse (CCSA) and is coordinating the Evidence to Impact Collaborative (EIC) podcast series. Melissa previously worked as a poverty analyst at…
Penn State, PA team up to promote treatments for substance abuse disorders
Oct 31, 2019
The opioid epidemic and larger problems of substance misuse continue to deeply impact communities across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the nation. In 2017, more than 70,000 drug overdose deaths occurred in the United States, with Pennsylvania ranking third with the highest rates of death due…
College of Medicine researchers receive NIH funding for addiction research
Oct 27, 2019
The National Institutes of Health have awarded more than $2 million to Patricia “Sue” Grigson, professor and chair in the Department of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, and Scott Bunce, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral health and clinical psychologist, as part of the Helping to End…
Collaborative Community Service Conference offers opiate addiction resources
Oct 23, 2019
Penn State Schuylkill and Lehigh Valley Hospital – Schuylkill collaborated to present “Opioids: The Crisis Next Door,” a free conference held on campus Sept. 19 that detailed the facts and signs of addiction, as well as the resources available to help community members affected by the epidemic. The…
Why Social Science? - Because It Provides Empirical Answers to Critical Public Health Questions
Oct 22, 2019
By Jeni L. Burnette, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychology & Sarah L. Desmarais, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology, North Carolina State University What do the opioid and obesity epidemics have in common? For starters, they are both public health crises in which the disease model is used to…