Remembering Dr. Bruce Rounsaville

January 2011

It is with profound sadness and respect that I acknowledge the passing of a dedicated researcher, innovator, and leader in the drug addiction treatment research field. Dr. Bruce Rounsaville, who died suddenly on January 9, worked tirelessly to improve the lives of his patients and to assist NIDA in multiple capacities—as a reviewer, speaker, mentor, and whatever else was needed. He also nurtured countless new investigators along their career paths, many of whom would ultimately become "stars" in their own right.

Dr. Rounsaville was a member of the Yale School of Medicine faculty since 1978, where he served as a professor of psychiatry and director of the Psychotherapy Research Center and Clinical Scientist Training Program in Substance Abuse, which NIDA supported. There he fostered collaborations with other pioneers in the field, including Drs. Herbert Kleber, Myrna Weissman, Thomas Kosten, Richard Schottenfield, Kathleen Carroll, Stephanie O'Malley, Rajita Sinha, and others, catalyzing treatment innovations in behavior therapy development research and laying down an evidence base for the combining of medications and psychotherapy. His and others' contributions elevated the now Division of Substance Abuse Research of the Yale Department of Psychiatry to become one of the foremost programs of its kind anywhere. Dr. Rounsaville was also member of the APA workgroup tasked with revising the DSM-IV, critical to our field, and served on the editorial boards of several journals focusing on drug abuse and addiction.

The legacy he leaves our field is rich and meaningful, and his loss deeply felt by so many.

Sincerely,

Nora D. Volkow, M.D.
Director