VIPBG News

Dr. Hermine Maes was awarded R01 (DA063061) from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) on June 30, 2025. This project, conducted with collaborators Dr. Naomi P. Friedman (University of Colorado Boulder), Dr. Pamela A. Madden (Washington University in St. Louis), and Drs. Monica Luciana and Sylia Wilson (University of Minnesota), examines vulnerability to substance use in adolescents. By integrating nationwide longitudinal samples with twin family data, the study will examine how internalizing and externalizing behaviors, reward sensitivity, and cognitive control influence transitions to substance use. The findings will provide crucial groundwork for translational and intervention efforts targeting at-risk youth.