Skip to main content

It is my conviction, and my constant prayer, that there will come through research, through inspiration to scientists if need be, the power to conquer narcotic addiction through the same means which cause it... I plead with all of you to earnestly pray that somewhere, somehow, the way will be discovered to erase addiction in the human body.​​

- Elder Boyd K. Packer, Oct. Gen. Conf. 1989​

​​

Addiction Lab Info

Our lab is located on the twelfth floor of the Spencer W. Kimball Tower, and directed by Dr. Scott Steffensen, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Psychology, associate director of neuroscience center. Contact us for information on how to become involved in research addiction.

People

The Addiction Lab is staffed by 16 graduate and undergraduate research assistants. Under the direction of Dr. Steffensen they make possible the extensive range of addiction research.

Research

Our lab primarily utilizes electrophysiology (both in vitro and in vivo) to measure and analyze the effects of substances on dopamine (DA) release in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) of the anterior forebrain. Understanding the effects of DA is vital to understanding addiction and also the eventual clinical development of treatment.