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Director's Page
Nora D. Volkow, M.D., became Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) at the National Institutes of Health in May 2003. NIDA supports most of the world's research on the health aspects of drug abuse and addiction.
Dr. Volkow's work has been instrumental in demonstrating that drug addiction is a disease of the human brain. As a research psychiatrist and scientist, Dr. Volkow pioneered the use of brain imaging to investigate the toxic effects of drugs and their addictive properties. Her studies have documented changes in the dopamine system affecting the actions of frontal brain regions involved with motivation, drive, and pleasure and the decline of brain dopamine function with age. She has also made important contributions to the neurobiology of obesity, ADHD, and the behavioral changes that occur with aging. Read more.
Messages from the Director
Director's Reports
Dr. Volkow made her first Director's Report to the National Advisory Council on Drug Abuse in May 2003. These reports are available online at the links below.
Director's Perspective
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Substance Abuse Among Older Adults (December 2011)
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NIDA's Drug Abuse Research Advances Science as a Whole (November 2011)
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NIDA's Funding Priorities To Remain Constant (July 2011)
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Physical Activity May Prevent Substance Abuse (March 2011)
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Incentives Promote Abstinence (December 2010)
Testimony to Congress
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Fiscal Year 2012 Budget Request (May 11, 2011)
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Prescription Drug Abuse (September 22, 2010)
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Fiscal Year 2011 Budget Request (April 21, 2010)
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Fiscal Year 2010 Budget Request (May 21, 2009)
Featured Publication
Drugs, Brains, and Behavior - The Science of Addiction
As a result of scientific research, we know that addiction is a disease that affects both brain and behavior.
