About the Program

The UB Clinical and Research Institute on Addictions postdoctoral program offers:

  • Interdisciplinary training emphasizing:
    • etiology and course of alcohol use and misuse
    • treatment for alcohol use disorders
  • Guidance of qualified mentors while fellows develop and pursue their independent research interests
  • Seminars on alcohol use disorders and current alcohol research
  • Grant writing and publishing workshops
  • Career planning and development
  • Negotiable start dates

The mainstays of CRIA’s scientific endeavors are the senior research scientists who develop and conduct research on the etiology, prevention and treatment of addictive behaviors. There are nearly 30 doctoral-level staff representing a variety of disciplines, including sociology, psychology (social, organizational, developmental, physiological and clinical), epidemiology and neuroscience.

Established in 2000 through a NIAAA grant of nearly $1.2 million, the training program was renewed in 2005 with a grant of nearly $1.7 million, in 2010 with a $1.76 million grant, and in 2016 with a $2 million grant.

On this page:

A Wealth of Resources for Your Work

CRIA offers:

  • Interviewing, conference and social interaction laboratory facilities with state-of-the-art audio-visual recording equipment
  • Addiction Treatment Services clinic providing outpatient services
  • Experimental bar and family laboratory settings
  • Biological and animal behavioral laboratories equipped with state-of-the-art biochemical, electrophysiological, mircrodialysis and optogenetic equipment to conduct cellular/molecular to behavioral studies
  • Capabilities to conduct studies in neuroimaging, pharmacological modeling and genetics of addictive disorders
  • Computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI) capability
  • Dedicated computer services department
  • Graphics and communications services

National Leader in Addictions Research

For nearly 50 years, CRIA has conducted groundbreaking research on significant addiction issues. Our scientists have made and continue to make important and widely recognized contributions to our knowledge regarding addictive behaviors.

CRIA’s diverse research portfolio includes topics related to the following:

  • etiology, prevention and treatment of addictions
  • neuroscience of addictions
  • role of alcohol and other drugs in violence and sexual violence
  • needs of special populations, including minorities, women, LGBTQ and youth
  • family functioning, including interpersonal violence
  • social and psychological aspects of addictions
  • health and medical aspects of addictions

Learn more about CRIA’s current and previous research endeavors.

CRIA scientists are working on a variety of multi-year, federally funded projects that represent a range of interdisciplinary studies. Methodologies used include surveys, basic research techniques, ecological momentary assessment, clinical outcome studies and sophisticated statistical techniques.

Faculty

Our faculty come from diverse yet complimentary disciplines such as psychology, social work, public health and the psychobiological sciences. All faculty have extensive alcohol research experience and are productive researchers with current grants or substantial external support.

Gregory Homish, PhD

Chair; Professor

Department of Community Health and Health Behavior School of Public Health and Health Professions

310 Kimball

Phone: (716) 829-6040; Fax: (716) 829-6040

Email: ghomish@buffalo.edu

Kenneth E. Leonard, PhD

CRIA Director; Senior Research Scientist

Department of Psychiatry Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences

1021 Main St.

Phone: (716) 887-2509; Fax: (716) 887-2510

Email: kleonard@buffalo.edu

Jennifer Read, PhD

Professor, Chair

Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences

206B Park Hall

Phone: 716-645-0193

Email: jpread@buffalo.edu

Paul R. Stasiewicz, PhD

Professor; Janet B. Wattles Endowed Chair

School of Social Work

1021 Main St.

Phone: 716-887-2596

Email: stasiewi@buffalo.edu

Craig Colder, PhD

Professor; Director of Graduate Studies

Department of Psychology

228 Park Hall, Buffalo NY 14260-4110

Phone: (716) 645-0190

Email: ccolder@buffalo.edu

Samir Haj-Dahmane, PhD

Professor

Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology; Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences

1021 Main St., Buffalo NY 14203-1016

Phone: (716) 887-2231

Email: sh38@buffalo.edu

Heather Orom, PhD

Associate Dean for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion; Director of Graduate Studies, PhD and MS Programs; Associate Professor

Department of Community Health and Health Behavior School of Public Health and Health Professions

304 Kimball, Buffalo NY, 14214

Phone: (716) 829-6682; Fax: (716) 829-6040

Email: horom@buffalo.edu

Christopher Barrick, PhD
Associate Professor, School of Nursing

Caroline Bass, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology

Arin Bhattacharjee, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology

Elizabeth Bowen, PhD
Assistant Professor, School of Social Work

Stewart Clark, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology

R. Lorraine Collins, PhD
Associate Dean for Research
Professor, Department of Community Health and Health Behavior

David Dietz, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology

Kurt Dermen, PhD
Senior Research Scientist, Department of Psychiatry

Peter Elkin, MD
Professor and Chairman, Department of Biomedical Informatics
Professor of Internal Medicine

Larry Hawk, PhD
Professor, Department of Psychology

Andrew Hyland, PhD
Chair, Department of Health Behavior
Roswell Park Cancer Institute

Greg Loney, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology

Paul Meyer, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Psychology

Jeffrey Miecznikowski, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Biostatistics 

Richard O'Connor, PhD
Professor, Oncology
Roswell Park Cancer Institute

Brian Quigley, PhD
Research Assistant Professor, Division of Behavioral Medicine

Jennifer P. Read, PhD
Professor
Director of Clinical Training, Department of Psychology

Robert G. Rychtarik, PhD
Senior Research Scientist, Department of Psychiatry

Dr. Roh-Yu Shen, PhD
Senior Research Scientist, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology

Paul Stasiewicz, PhD
Professor, School of Social Work

Jennifer Temple, PhD
Professor
Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences

Peter Thanos, PhD
Senior Research Scientist, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology

Stephen T. Tiffany, PhD
Empire Innovation Professor, Department of Psychology

Greg Wilding, PhD
Chair and Professor, Department of Biostatistics

Why Choose Buffalo?

A national leader in the study of addictions since 1970, CRIA is a center of research excellence at the University at Buffalo. CRIA occupies a five-story building on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. This urban medical campus, located on 100 acres just outside the downtown district, includes several of the region’s major health care and research-related institutions.

The Buffalo Niagara region includes world-class architecture, delicious regional and international cuisine, superb theatre, major league sports, the amazing Albright-Knox Art Gallery, the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Niagara Falls and annual summertime festivals that run from May to October. Housing, hotels, galleries, restaurants, entertainment, transportation and the cost of living in Buffalo are all nearly 10 percent below the national average.

Learn why we love the Buffalo Niagara region.

To Apply

Interested individuals are encouraged to contact either Kenneth E. Leonard (CRIA director), or Gregory Homish (chair, Department of Community Health and Health Behavior), co-training directors, in advance of submitting application materials. Email Brandon Kuhn at bjkuhn@buffalo.edu.

Applications including a vita, representative reprints, two to three letters of reference, and a cover letter describing research interests and training goals may be forwarded to:

Alcohol Research Postdoctoral Training Committee
Attn: Kenneth E. Leonard and Gregory Homish
Department of Community Health and Health Behavior
3435 Main Street
322 Kimball Tower
Buffalo, New York 1421

Applicants must be citizens or noncitizen nationals of the U.S. or must have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence. AA/EOE

About Us

RIA in the evening.

UB’s Clinical and Research Institute on Addictions (CRIA) is a long-standing national leader in the study of alcohol and substance abuse. For nearly 50 years, CRIA has conducted groundbreaking research on significant addiction issues, including:

Part of UB’s Downtown Campus, CRIA is a key contributor to UB’s reputation for research excellence and a proud member of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. 

Contact Us

Clinical and Research Institute on Addictions
1021 Main Street
Buffalo, NY  14203-1016
Telephone: 716-887-2566
Fax: 716-887-2252
criawebmaster@buffalo.edu