A division of the Translational Addiction Medicine Branch
A joint laboratory of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
Section Chief
Contact
Location:
Biomedical Research Center
251 Bayview Boulevard
Suite 200, Room 04A515
Baltimore, MD 21224
Phone: 667-312-5188
Email: lorenzo.leggio@nih.gov
NIAAA Website: https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/section-clinical-psychoneuroendocrinology-and-neuropsychopharmacology-cpn
About the Lab
Founded by Dr. Lorenzo Leggio, the Clinical Psychoneuroendocrinology and Neuropsychopharmacology (CPN) Section is a joint laboratory of NIDA and NIAAA. The CPN Section’s overarching mission is to advance understanding of the mechanisms underlying addiction and to identify and evaluate new therapeutic interventions. These goals align with the strategic priorities of both NIDA and NIAAA. Our work uses multidirectional translational approaches spanning basic science, experimental medicine proof-of-concept studies, randomized controlled trials, biospecimen analyses, and big data analysis. A central focus of our research is the conduct of human laboratory studies and clinical trials conducted under well-controlled conditions. These studies serve as critical translational bridges between preclinical research and larger more resource-intensive clinical trials.
We further expand our translational framework through collaborative preclinical research including bench and rodent studies, as well as through big data approaches such as large-scale electronic health record-based pharmacoepidemiological human studies. These studies often use propensity score matching and are guided by target trial emulation principles.
Key areas of interest include the intersection of addictive disorders with neuroendocrine systems, the gut-brain axis, the heart-brain axis, and other peripheral-central pathways, with the ultimate goal of identifying novel therapeutic targets and developing new treatments.
