Centers

Addiction Center for Translation

A multi-faceted approach to addressing addiction and substance-use disorders.

Penn State Addiction Center for Translation was created to address substance-use disorders, particularly given the current rise in drug overdose deaths.

A woman points to a poster while discussing her addiction research.

About the Center

A team of Penn State researchers, clinicians and community partners have come together to conduct and disseminate cutting-edge research and share evidence-based methods in substance use prevention and treatment with the community.

The center educates and trains current and future clinicians, health care providers, researchers and community members on issues related to substance use and substance use disorder; helps patients find compassionate and effective care; obtains private and federal funding to support basic science, clinical and translational research; and serves as a resource for the community, as well as the state and federal government, to access evidence-based information and interact with experts in the field.

Seeking Treatment

If you need assistance seeking treatment for addiction, call 800-662-HELP (4357). In case of emergency, call 911 immediately.

Support the Addiction Center

Private philanthropic support helps power the center’s educational, clinical, research and community outreach projects, leading to scientific breakthroughs, improved treatment and increased awareness and understanding of the topic of substance use. This translates to a healthier future.

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Our Missions

The goal of the Addiction Center for Translation is to develop and implement cutting-edge research to inform an evidence-based approach to prevent and treat substance-use disorder and addiction. Within that goal, the center strives to make a difference in four mission areas.

Drone view of Penn State Health Hershey, Pa. medical center in the early morning with sun shining off camera to the left.

Education

The Addiction Center for Translation seeks to educate researchers, students, clinicians, health care providers and community partners about substance use, abuse and disorder and addiction overall through:

Medical education
Addiction medicine fellowship
Nurse/clinician education

A researcher looks at brain imaging on a tablet in a lab.

Clinical Care

Facilitating compassionate and effective treatment of a patient population suffering from substance use and abuse disorder is a key focus of the Addiction Center for Translation. It seeks to provide care in the following ways:

Prevention of use
Prevention of transition from use to abuse
Universal screening and warm handoff
Hot handoff (medical-assisted treatment)

Yongsoo Kim works at a computer showing brain scans

Research

The Addiction Center for Translation strives to promote translational research on the chronic disease of addiction. It aims to do so by:

Facilitating translational research via Addiction Symposium
Facilitating translational research via pilots and startups
Garnering support via non-formula CURE grants, UG3/UH3, NIH grants, center (P50) grants, program project grants (PPGs) and training (T32) grants.

Illustration of a man using a Health To Go vending machine

Outreach

The Addiction Center for Translation strives to serve as a resource for the community and a partner with state and federal public health agencies by helping to provide: