Welcome to the Speakers Bureau!
The NIDA Intramural Research Program (IRP) Speakers Bureau connects schools, colleges, community organizations, and other groups with NIDA scientists and staff who can share their expertise on substance use, addiction, neuroscience, biomedical research, careers in science, and related topics.
Speakers may be available for virtual presentations or in-person presentations in the Baltimore area, depending on speaker availability. Presentations can be tailored, when appropriate, to the age, background, and interests of the audience.
Please submit requests as early as possible. The current program recommends allowing approximately three months to make arrangements; requests with shorter timelines may be considered when possible. The NIDA Speakers Bureau is a free service.
Browse Talks by Topic
General Science and AddictionOverview of Cannabis Use Disorder
Carl Lupica, Ph.D.
high school, college
Overview of Research on Opioid Use Disorder
David Epstein, Ph.D.
community
Overview of New Psychoactive Substances
Michael Baumann, Ph.D.
high school, college, community
Overview of Kratom
Kirsten Smith, Ph.D.
high school, college, community
Overview of Alcohol Use Disorder
Lorenzo Leggio, M.D., Ph.D.
elementary school, middle school, high school, college, community
Street Drugs in the House
Stephanie Weiss, M.D., Ph.D.
college, community
Behavioral Sciences in the News
David Epstein, Ph.D.
college, community
Neuroscience 101
Leslie Ramsey, Ph.D.
elementary school, middle school, high school
Development of Medications for Substance Use Disorders
Amy Newman, Ph.D.
college, community
Drug Memories in the Brain
Bruce Hope, Ph.D.
middle school, high school, college
How We Record from Neurons
Alex Hoffman, Ph.D.
middle school, high school, college
Use of Animals in Research
Alex Hoffman, Ph.D.
college, community
Bioethical Considerations in Conducting Human Research
Lisa Farinelli, Ph.D., M.B.A., R.N.
high school, college, community
Molecular Tools to Study Addiction
Brandon Harvey, Ph.D.
Elementary school, middle school, high school, college
What’s it Like Doing Science?
Christie Brannock, M.B.A.
elementary school, middle school, high school
Choosing a Path in Science
Katherine Savell, Ph.D.
elementary school, middle school, high school, college
Don’t See the Topic You’re Looking For?
Tell us what you would like your group to learn about. NIDA IRP has scientists and staff with expertise across a broad range of research areas. We will review your request and determine whether an appropriate speaker may be available. Topic requests are subject to staff expertise, speaker availability, and scheduling and cannot be guaranteed.
Submitting a request does not guarantee that a speaker or requested topic will be available. Requests are reviewed based on topic fit, speaker expertise, availability, scheduling, and presentation format. OECD will follow up after reviewing the request.
