Program of Excellence in Addictions Research (PEAR)
Dr. John Roll, an internationally recognized expert in the field of drug and alcohol abuse, founded the Program of Excellence in Addictions Research (PEAR) in 2006. Dr. Sterling McPherson is the current PEAR director. PEAR manages a budget of research funding from a diverse set of funding streams and houses some of WSU Spokane’s largest health science projects, including RMHSAT and CATCH, and is nationally and internationally affiliated with more than 30 investigators. This transdisciplinary addiction science program anges in disciplinary representation from health policy and economics to experimental pharmacotherapeutics and human toxicology. PEAR’s mission is to advance innovative, scientifically rigorous approaches to the understanding, treatment, and prevention of addictions.
Mission
The mission of the Program of Excellence in Addictions Research (PEAR) is to advance innovative, scientifically rigorous approaches to the understanding, treatment, and prevention of addictions. We accomplish this by:
- Conducting transdisciplinary research in interrelated areas
- Training future scholars and clinicians
- Promoting active participation of program affiliates in relevant policy arenas
Areas of Scholarship
Behavioral Pharmacology
A branch of pharmacology concerned with the physiological and behavioral mechanisms by which drugs operate. This encompasses not only the effects of drugs on behavior but also how behavioral factors contribute to the actions of drugs and the ways in which they are used.
Health-Related Behavioral Therapies
Behavioral therapies under investigation that are designed to improve health related to substance use and mental health.
Clinical Epidemiology of Mental Health & Drug & Alcohol Abuse
The investigation of long-term trajectories of mental health and substance use in order to better understand their etiology and progression, potential disparities, as well as unique risk factor and protective factors.
Pharmacotherapy Trials
The investigation of emerging therapeutics for the treatment of addiction, often in combination with behavioral therapies and technology.
Rural Behavioral Health
The study of behavioral health among rural communities throughout the world in an effort to better understand possible innovations that could better serve their unique needs.