Benefits of middle school program trickle down to next generation
A substance-use prevention program delivered to students and their families in the sixth and seventh grades led to wide-ranging benefits well into adulthood and — for those who became parents — even positively affected their children, according to a new study by researchers in the Penn State…
Brothers receives American Sociological Association’s Early Career Award
Sarah Brothers, assistant professor of sociology and public policy at Penn State, is the recipient of the American Sociological Association’s (ASA) inaugural Early Career Award for Community-Engaged Scholarship. The organization recognized Brothers for her “transformative work in drug policy” and…
Research Professor Sarah Chilenski wins international mentoring award
The Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center (PRC) at Penn State has announced that Sarah Chilenski, Penn State research professor of health and human development and SSRI and CSUA affiliate, has been named the 2026 recipient of the Friend of ECPN Award by the Society for Prevention Research…
What are the risks of cannabis use?
On April 26, the United States reclassified cannabis from a Schedule I controlled substance, which lacks any medical benefits, to a Schedule III controlled substance, which has accepted medical uses and lower potential for misuse than a Schedule I substance. Over the past two decades, cannabis has…
Consortium on Substance Use and Addiction to host seventh annual conference
The Social Science Research Institute’s Consortium on Substance Use and Addiction will host its seventh annual conference, in-person and via Zoom, on Monday, May 4 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Barron Innovation Hub at the University Park campus. The all-day event is free, but all in-person and…
Penn State network helps communities turn opioid funds into lifesaving action
In 2023, more than 83% of Pennsylvania’s 4,719 overdose deaths were opioid-related, as reported by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. To address these and other effects of the opioid epidemic, Pennsylvania will invest more than $1.7 billion, received from the opioid settlement agreement, over…
Annual Substance Use and Addiction Conference to be held on May 4
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Social Science Research Institute’s Consortium on Substance Use and Addiction will host its seventh annual conference, in-person and via Zoom on Monday, May 4 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Barron Innovation Hub at the University Park campus. The all-day event is free, but…
Pennsylvania counties face tough choices on spending $2B opioid settlement fund
In this piece written for The Conversation, authors Halie Kampman, Brian King, SSRI Affiliate Glenn Sterner, SSRI cofund Kristina P. Brant, and Maya Weinberg explain how a Penn State research project is exploring how six PA counties are utilizing opioid settlement funds.
Annual substance use conference examines psychiatric and opioid use disorders
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Social Science Research Institute’s (SSRI) Consortium on Substance Use and Addiction (CSUA)vhosted the sixth annual conference in May at the the Eric J. Barron Innovation Hub at Penn State University Park. Drawing over 150 attendees throughout the day, including through…
People Who Use Drugs Need Access to Treatment, But They Also Need Love and Support
Editor’s note: Dr. Abenaa Jones is an Assistant Professor of Human Development and Family Studies, Ann Atherton Hertzler Early Career Professor in Health and Human Development, and Social Science Research Institute cofunded faculty member at Penn State University. Dr. Jones’ work focuses on the…
Penn State social scientists support federal research funding at COSSA Day
A distinguished delegation of Penn State researchers traveled to Washington, D.C., March 24-25, to participate in the annual Consortium of Social Science Association's (COSSA) Social Science Advocacy Day. The event brought together social and behavioral scientists from across the nation to engage…
CSUA attends Science Coalition's Capitol Hill Day
Last week, the Social Science Research Institute's (SSRI) Consortium on Substance Use and Addiction (CSUA) was on Capitol Hill for "The Science of Addiction & Mental Health" hosted by The Science Coalition. CSUA Director Joel Segel and SSRI cofunded faculty member Glenn Sterner spent time with…
Psychiatry professor to present at annual substance-use and addiction conference
The Social Science Research Institute’s Consortium on Substance Use and Addiction will host its sixth annual conference, in-person and via Zoom on Monday, May 5, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Barron Innovation Hub at the University Park campus. The all-day event is free, but all in-person and…
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CSUA
Substance Use
Annual substance use and addiction conference to be held on May 5
The Social Science Research Institute’s Consortium on Substance Use and Addiction (CSUA) will host its sixth annual conference, in-person and via Zoom on Monday, May, 5 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Barron Innovation Hub at the University Park campus. The all-day event is free, but all in-person and…
Emails with personal stories may be more likely to catch lawmakers’ attention
Email is one of the easiest ways to contact policymakers, especially for researchers who want to share their expertise on complex topics like substance use, but can an email effectively foster connection? Researchers at Penn State recently found that policymakers were more likely to engage with…
Experts share research and best practices at Tenth Annual Addiction Conference
Penn State College of Medicine is marking a milestone of a decade of sharing expertise and best practices at the upcoming Tenth Annual Penn State Addiction Conference. The conference, scheduled for Nov. 11 and 12, is run by the Penn State Addiction Center for Translation with additional support…
Students who feel more university connection may be more likely to binge drink
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Students who feel a sense of belonging at their university are more likely to binge drink than those who do not feel the same connection, according to a new study by researchers at Penn State, the University of California, Santa Cruz and University of Oregon. In the study,…
Bringing health care back to a rural Pennsylvania community
Snow Shoe Township is a small, rural community of around 1,700 people in central Pennsylvania that lies approximately 30 miles north of State College. A former coal mining town, Snow Shoe has seen an economic decline over the years. Then, in the span of one year starting in 2020, Snow Shoe lost its…
Teens and drinking: What parents need to know and how they can influence behavior
Parents of teens and young adults can help keep their kids safer from the dangers of drinking, says Rob Turrisi, Penn State professor of biobehavioral health and SSRI cofund. Learn more in this new episode of the Raising Good Humans podcast with Dr. Aliza.
Annual substance use conference examines cannabis use, future of tobacco
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Social Science Research Institute’s (SSRI) Consortium on Substance Use and Addiction (CSUA) recently hosted its fifth annual conference in the Eric J. Barron Innovation Hub at the University Park campus. Drawing over 140 attendees throughout the day including through the…