BSS faculty conduct empirical research on alcohol use across the translational research spectrum, with most of this work conducted through the internationally renowned Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies (CAAS).

This research includes:

• investigations to characterize the neurobiological and neurocognitive predictors and consequences of alcohol use;
• laboratory and ecological momentary assessment studies of the contextual factors, mechanisms, and consequences of alcohol use;
• longitudinal cohort studies; treatment development and treatment outcome studies;
• studies of pharmacotherapy for alcohol use disorder, including pharmacotherapies with adolescents;
• early intervention research. 

Significant work has focused on comorbidity, particularly the comorbidity of alcohol with cannabis use, affective and other mental disorders, and cigarette smoking.  Adolescent use is of particular interest, including etiology and brief interventions for adolescent misuse.  Extensive treatment studies involve a variety of populations with particular emphasis on adolescents, college students, patients in substance use treatment programs, prisoners, and Emergency Department patients; many of these studies employ modern communication technologies to deliver behavioral interventions. CAAS houses the Alcohol Research Center on HIV, and BSS faculty collaborate on programmatic research on the biobehavioral interactions of alcohol use and HIV infection. This research that examines neurobiology of alcohol use in people living with HIV, the role of alcohol use on HIV transmission, and interventions to address alcohol use in people living with HIV and those at high risk for HIV infection.