CAAS is thrilled to celebrate our Assistant Professor David G. Zelaya, Ph.D. for receiving the 2026 National Latinx Psychological Association (NLPA) Distinguished Early-Career Award!

This award reflects the heart, dedication, and impactful work Dr. Zelaya brings to our community and the field every day. We couldn't be prouder to see him celebrated at the 2026 NLPA Conference in Denver, CO this October.

Congratulations, Dr. Zelaya!

A new study co-authored by CAAS faculty member David Zelaya, Ph.D. in American Psychologist, the flagship journal of the American Psychological Association, explores mental health disparities among transgender and nonbinary patients residing in trans-protective environments.

Lead author Patrick Kelly, MPH and CAAS faculty co-authors Katie Biello, Brandon Marshall, and Jackie White Hughto, PhD, MPH published vital research bridging technological innovation and compassionate public health.

What does recovery mean, and can drinking ever be done in moderation after past misuse? Director of CAAS, Christopher Kahler, Ph.D., weighs in on the conversation. "Each person's decision around drinking is their own. We can't dictate what recovery is or is not."

"To reallocate funds to strategies that aren't evidence-based... feels deeply worrisome," warns CAAS Assistant Professor Alexandria Macmadu on the shift toward faith-based addiction care over proven harm reduction.

Congratulations to the members of CAAS staff and faculty receiving awards this year!
Brian Gully, Project Coordinator (Dean's Award for Excellence in Leadership), Wendy Hernandez, Medical Lab Technician (Dean's Award for Excellence in Innovation), and Alexandria Macmadu, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology (Dean’s Award for Excellence in Community Engagement). Each awardee has shown significant dedication to the school and the excellent work being done here.

A study co-led by researchers from CAAS found that liver screenings at health clinics can help save lives. The small pilot study screened patients during visits to a community health clinic, providing them with the opportunity to reverse liver damage they didn’t realize they had. “Liver disease is silently progressing, but completely preventable with lifestyle change [and] behavior change, and we can provide behavioral interventions for that,” said Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior Hayley Treloar Padovano.

This April 2026 issue of the Rhode Island Medical Journal (RIMJ) includes a special section dedicated to the Brown University School of Public Health and features the work of several CAAS faculty, staff, and trainees. Notably, there is a piece by CAAS Director Christopher Kahler, PhD, titled "Four Decades at the Forefront of Addiction Research and Training" that describes the evolving landscape of public health research and education. The issue also includes a collaborative article on Addressing Chronic Steatotic Liver Disease involving many members of CAAS.

A new bill could expand veteran access to MDMA-assisted therapy, thanks in part to the groundbreaking research on MDMA for PTSD and alcohol use by CAAS faculty Erica Eaton, Christy Capone, & Carolina Haass-Koffler. This was the first VA-funded study for psychedelic-assisted therapy since the 1960s.

As wellness conversations broaden beyond abstinence, Food & Wine amplifies new research from CAAS Professor Jane Metrik on cannabis through a harm-reduction lens and what it could mean for moderating alcohol consumption.

Alcohol can make you feel anxious or irritable the next day. CAAS Associate Professor Hayley Treloar Padovano, Ph.D. discusses with The New York Times what causes this — and how to manage it.

As cannabis moves toward federal rescheduling, pregnant people are being left in a vulnerable position. CAAS Assistant Professor Lauren Micalizzi, Ph.D. and Elizabeth Tobin-Tyler, J.D., M.A. co-authored this piece in STAT about the importance of reform.

"We need to listen to people who use drugs and make sure they're part of the process to tell us about what they're experiencing, and to believe and trust that, and follow up on what we're hearing with science." CAAS Director & Professor Christopher Kahler, Ph.D. participated in an NPR podcast segment by Andrew Stelzer on California Sober and a recent relevant study led by CAAS Professor Jane Metrik, Ph.D.

“Any level of drinking has some risk, and it increases with more drinking,” Christopher Kahler, Director of the Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, previously told USA TODAY.

THC beverages make up a “fast-growing segment of the market that is being promoted as an alcohol alternative … because it’s a familiar route of consumption,” Jane Metrik, Ph.D., Professor at the Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, tells TODAY.com.

Mollie Monnig, Associate Professor at CAAS, spoke with the New York Times about the role of aging in the body's ability to process alcohol.

Christopher Kahler, Professor and Director of CAAS, talks with USA Today about the latest developments in government guidelines around alcohol use.

CAAS Associate Professor Hayley Treloar Padovano discusses Dry January (and beyond) with Women's Health.

CAAS Director Professor Christopher Kahler and CAAS Assistant Professor David Zelaya are co-authors on a recent paper offering guidance for how researchers can contribute to an antiracist public health agenda.

CAAS postdoc Molly Maloney and CAAS Associate Professor Jennifer Merrill reflect on the strengths of digital interventions and discuss safeguards to ensure they reflect the needs of the people who use them.

Tara White, Assistant Professor at CAAS, discusses how vital it is to question fear-driven responses in society.

A recent study co-authored by CAAS adjunct professor Ethan Mereish, CAAS postdoc alum Jamie Parnes, and current CAAS faculty member Robert Miranda investigated how daily substance use differs when it’s planned versus unplanned, specifically for nicotine, cannabis, and alcohol.

CAAS postdoc alums Jamie Parnes and Samuel Meisel worked with current faculty member Robert Miranda on a study exploring the relationship between cannabis use and sleep for young adults.

Former CAAS postdoc Megan Strowger and current CAAS faculty members Matthew Meisel and Suzanne Colby conducted a review to broadly characterize the peer-reviewed literature on Dry January, summarize its main findings, strengths, and limitations, as well as delineate future research directions.

Despite an abundance of public discourse about the opioid crisis in the media, there is little research characterizing opioid-related content on TikTok, a popular video-based social media platform. This study involving CAAS Assistant Professors Michelle Haikalis and Melissa Pielech sought to examine how opioids are portrayed on TikTok.

Balancing public health priorities around e-cigarette flavors requires a careful approach that supports adult harm reduction while safeguarding youth.

CAAS alum Kristi Gamarel and current CAAS faculty member Jasjit Ahluwalia contributed to this article about recent redefinitions of what is considered allowable in federally sponsored research.

CAAS researchers have launched a study testing MDMA, known as ecstasy or molly, and talk therapy as a treatment for PTSD and alcohol use disorder in military veterans.

Congratulations to CAAS Assistant Professor David Zelaya for winning the APA Division 45 Emerging Professional – Contributions to Service Award!

Overdose deaths have declined 27% in 2024. "This progress is encouraging, but it's fragile." Read more from CAAS Professor Alexandria Macmadu's conversation with The Wall Street Journal.

CAAS faculty Chris Kahler and Mollie Monnig were quoted in an article by Every Day Health about the effects of drinking on the brain.

Dr. Rohsenow, a professor of Behavioral and Social Sciences and associate director of the Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, was quoted in The New York Times for her research on hangovers.

Hayley Treloar Padovano, Ph.D., an Associate Professor of Behavioral and Social Sciences at the Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, talks with Times about how to relax and unwind without drinking alcohol.