In this ERC-funded project, we hypothesise that addictive drugs have different mechanisms of action depending on how one is feeling before taking the drug. Negative feelings and a wish for relief could underpin the increased risk of addiction observed in people suffering from depression, anxiety, a history of childhood trauma, and poor social support networks.

The project team counts four part-time medical staff, several MA student interns and RAs, one part-time professor (Guido Biele), our long-standing collaborator Tom Johnstone from Swinburne University, as well as the three people who wrote the grant: Marie Eikemo, Guro Løseth and Siri Leknes. Photos from our kick-off event in February 2020 below: