Drugs of abuse have taken center stage throughout the country with a particular focus on opioids, which are of a major public health concern since overdosing remains at epidemic proportions, and previously illicit drugs, like marijuana, have gained attention for medicinal purposes. Dr. Hurd will discuss insights about recent advances made into the molecular and in vivo neurobiological underpinnings of addiction disorders that provide avenues for the development of novel treatment interventions. A translational and multidisciplinary scientific approach will be described ranging from molecular and epigenetic studies in animal models, to neurobiological investigations of the postmortem human brain that together guides human clinical studies.
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Professor of Psychiatry, Neuroscience and Pharmacological Sciences
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Scientific Council Member (Joined 2019)
Dr. Yasmin Hurd is the Ward-Coleman Chair in Translational Neuroscience as well as Professor of Psychiatry, Neuroscience and Pharmacological Sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine in New York. She is also Director of the Addiction Institute in the Mount Sinai Behavioral Health System. She is a renowned neuroscientist whose translational research examines the neurobiology of drug abuse and related psychiatric disorders. She is highly published and leads a diverse research program spanning molecular biology, behavioral neuropharmacology, neuroimaging and genetics to study the human brain and complementary translational animal models. Her pioneering research has provided significant insights into the neurobiology of opioid abuse and the neurodevelopmental (and cross-generational) effects of cannabis. Dr. Hurd also conducts clinical trials focused on novel treatments for opioid abuse. Based on these high impact accomplishments and her advocacy of drug addiction education and health, Dr. Hurd was inducted into the National Academy of Medicine.
Jeffrey Borenstein, M.D., serves as the President & CEO of the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation, the largest private funder of mental health research grants. Dr. Borenstein developed the Emmy-nominated public television program “Healthy Minds,” and serves as host and executive producer of the series. The program, broadcast nationwide, is available online, and focuses on topics in psychiatry in order to educate the public, reduce stigma and offer a message of hope. Dr. Borenstein served as Editor-in-Chief of Psychiatric News, the newspaper of the American Psychiatric Association from 2012 - 2023.
Dr. Borenstein is a Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine and serves as the Chair of the Section of Psychiatry at the Academy. He also has served as the President of the New York State Psychiatric Association. Dr. Borenstein earned his undergraduate degree at Harvard and his medical degree at New York University.
