Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies
Our History
The center is the oldest in Brown’s School of Public Health, established in 1982 by David Lewis, M.D. who led the center for 18 years. Lewis was an addiction science pioneer who saw the disease this way: “Drug misuse is a complex social, economic, and physiological problem in which the actual substances play only one part.”
Another pioneer, Peter Monti, then led the center for 22 years, driving the center’s explosive research growth and hiring Richard Longabaugh to create the training program that has produced more than 200 leaders making major contributions to the addiction field.
The center’s early history, and its innovations and influence, are detailed in this 2013 story marking the center’s 30th anniversary.
Milestones for the Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1982 | Established in Brown’s Division of Biology and Medicine |
| 1986 | Received first National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism training grant |
| 1986 | Launch of Project ADEPT, the first addiction curriculum for medical schools |
| 1993 | Founding of the New England Addiction Technology Transfer Center |
| 1997 | Formation of the Physician Leadership on National Drug Policy |
| 1999 | Acquired archives of Alcoholics Anonymous cofounder Robert Smith, MD |
| 2003 | Received first National Institute on Drug Abuse training grant |
| c. 2006 | Moved from Butler Hospital campus to new Public Health Building at 121 South Main Street |
| 2010 | Received funding for the Alcohol Research Center on HIV |
| 2011 | Founding of Brown’s Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences |
| 2012 | Launch of Brown’s Ph.D. program in behavioral and social health sciences |
| 2013 | Founding of Brown’s School of Public Health |
| 2019 | Received funding for the Center for Addiction and Disease Research Exacerbation |
| 2023 | Christopher Kahler, Ph.D. named as the center director |
| 2024 | Release of CAAS Forward: A Vision for Excellence and Impact |
CAAS history in photos
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Jackie Hughto, Patricia Cioe, Jennifer Merrill, Hayley Treloar Padovano, Ayla Durst in 2025
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Benjamin Berey and Jane Metrik evaluate a CAAS research poster in 2025
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Robert Miranda discusses the CAAS 2024-2025 Year in Review
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CAAS Research Day 2025
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Center for Addiction and Disease Risk Exacerbation (CADRE) faculty and staff in 2024
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Christopher Kahler became CAAS director in 2023
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In 2019 Professor Monti received the 10th Annual Jack Mendelson Award from the National Institutes on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism for his “substantial contribution toward increasing our understanding of the effects of alcohol on health and well-being, and improving the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of alcohol-related problems.”
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Peter Monti asks a question at the 2017 Barnes Lecture
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Brown president Christina Paxson speaks at “CAAS@30” reception in 2013
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2012: Suzanne Colby, Peter Monti, Christopher Kahler and Dr. Bharat Ramratnam served on the ARCH executive committee.
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2011 American Psychological Association Conference participants from Rhode Island met with Christopher Bizzacco, Senior Policy Advisor for Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI). (L - R) Professors Peter Monti, Mark Wood and Suzanne Colby with Christopher Bizzacco and Professor Lynn Hernandez.
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2008: Chris Kahler and Peter Monti at Public Health Research Day
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Peter Monti (L) and David Lewis in 2005.
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In 1999, Dr. David Lewis acquired the archives of "Alcoholics Anonymous" co-founder Dr. Robert Smith, including the coffeepot Smith used during meetings.
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The Brown University Library holds the CAAS Alcohol, Temperance and Prohibition Collection. The collection includes broadsides, sheet music, pamphlets and government publications relating to temperance, prohibition, and the social history of alcoholism.