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Director's Page

NIDA Director, Dr. Nora D. Volkow

Nora D. Volkow, M.D., became Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) at the National Institutes of Health in May 2003. NIDA supports most of the world’s research on the health aspects of drug abuse and addiction.

Dr. Volkow’s work has been instrumental in demonstrating that drug addiction is a disease of the human brain. As a research psychiatrist and scientist, Dr. Volkow pioneered the use of brain imaging to investigate the toxic effects and addictive properties of abusable drugs. Her studies have documented changes in the dopamine system affecting, among others, the functions of frontal brain regions involved with motivation, drive, and pleasure in addiction.  She has also made important contributions to the neurobiology of obesity, ADHD, and aging. Read more.

Featured Publication

Featured Publication

Drugs, Brains, and Behavior - The Science of Addiction

As a result of scientific research, we know that addiction is a disease that affects both brain and behavior.

Brookhaven National Laboratory WBNL Video

Chemistry celebration: FDG: Contribution to Our Understanding of Addiction

Chemistry celebration: FDG: Contribution to Our Understanding of Addiction

Friday, October 19, 2012 | Presented by Nora D. Volkow

Rockburn Presents

Rockburn Presents: Dr. Nora Volkow

"Rockburn Presents: Dr. Nora Volkow," Cable Public Affairs Channel, By Ken Rockburn, September 2, 2012

Interviews with NIDA Scientists

SFN Nora Volkow Video screenshot

NIDA scientists and grantees bring brain science to life in these video interviews conducted at NIDA's 2012 Frontiers in Science mini convention at the Society for Neuroscience meeting in Washington, D.C.