For University Professor Adam Leventhal, studying addiction hits close to home

Years before University Professor Adam Leventhal became a leading expert on addiction, he was a teenager growing up at the height of teen smoking in the 1990s.

Like his friends, he was a “kid cigarette smoker” who later struggled to quit. When methamphetamine became a problem in his San Diego high school and affected his friends, he witnessed addiction up close.

“At a young age, I wanted to understand what compels a nice, intelligent person to repeatedly engage in an action they know is bad for their health, and damages their relationships, friendships and other aspects of their life,” said Leventhal, a University Professor of Population and Public Health Sciences and Psychology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. Leventhal also holds an appointment with the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences.

Today, Leventhal, a clinical psychologist and researcher, is the founding executive director of the USC Institute for Addiction Science, or IAS, which has 80 faculty members across 10 USC schools, colleges and hospitals. In February, Leventhal was named a University Professor, one of USC’s highest academic honors. In March, the American Academy of Health Behavior will recognize Leventhal as its 2025 Research Laureate Award winner.

“Adam has built something that has created tremendous value out of thin air,” said IAS member John Monterosso, an associate professor of psychology at USC Dornsife. “The Institute for Addiction Science has become a premier, world-class center that researchers at other universities are looking to emulate.”

“For many of us, IAS is the primary source of research collaboration at USC,” Monterosso added. “I can think of several people with whom I now work, whom I would have barely known were it not for IAS.”

Working on a mission

Not long after Leventhal joined USC in 2009, his intellectual interest in addiction began shifting into something more personal and mission-driven. He had a good understanding of the typical academic formula, winning grants and publishing papers. Rinse, repeat.

Then, in 2010, his brother disclosed that he was struggling with opioid use disorder. He had nearly overdosed.

“He’s my best friend. I’m a clinical psychologist and supposed to be someone who can ‘spot’ addiction — and I totally missed it,” Leventhal said. “I’m grateful that he took my encouragement to go into treatment right away.”

In 2018, Leventhal started putting together what became the IAS with the help of John Clapp at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, Daryl Davies at the USC Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and others.

“I wanted to have a broader impact on public health. I noticed there were many talented people across different schools at USC doing incredible work in addiction, but they weren’t collaborating,” Leventhal said. “So I cold-emailed the provost, pitching the idea of starting a center. I was pleasantly surprised to get unanimous support from our leadership who encouraged us, ‘make it bigger.’ Over time, it grew into the IAS — a comprehensive, universitywide institute that unites diverse fields and fosters collaboration.”

Members of IAS study the causes, consequences and interventions for a range of addictive behaviors: nicotine, cannabis, gambling, excessive digital media use, opioids, alcohol-associated liver disease, cancer and more. The IAS’ research team represents a cross section of various disciplines, involving experts on brain health, pharmacology, public health, policy and engineering.

For example:

• Ricky Bluthenthal of the Keck School of Medicine is working on innovative harm reduction programs to help people who inject drugs.
• Daryl Davies of USC Mann is developing novel compounds, including nutritional supplements, to reduce alcohol consumption and protect the liver.
• Eric Pedersen of the Keck School of Medicine is working on digital new-wave interventions to reduce binge drinking among college students.
• Olivia Lee of the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work studies how employment insecurity influences substance use from a life course and intergenerational lense.
• Rosalie Pacula of the USC Price School of Public Policy and the USC Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics, a health economist, is the premier global expert on cannabis policies and their effects on public health.

“These are just a few examples,” said Leventhal. “There’s so much happening across different disciplines at USC.”

The IAS has seen a steady rise in addiction-related funding, with some years experiencing more than double the funding compared to its inaugural year. Additionally, the number of funded projects involving collaboration between principal investigators across multiple departments has also grown, reflecting IAS’ commitment to interdisciplinary research and innovation.

Leventhal’s own work, supported by $75 million in grants, includes research on the harms associated with electronic cigarettes and vaping, as well as the marketing of these products to young people. A 2019 study published in JAMA and led by Leventhal, showed that minty and fruity flavored e-cigarettes were widely used among U.S. teens, resulting in federal regulations intended to rein in soaring e-cigarette use among youth. In 2020, the FDA appointed him to its Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee.

Personalized care

Leventhal’s long-term goal is even more ambitious: to create a treatment center that revolutionizes science-based addiction care — and do it at USC.

“Because addiction is stigmatized, it is relegated to the fringes of health care and lags behind other diseases. Many suffer and die prematurely, which is unnecessary and unfair,” Leventhal said. “We know there is not a single route to recovery. Addiction treatment can be personalized and executed with precision, and it should be made accessible to everyone.

“Like the best cancer centers, we hope to build an addiction care center that uses AI-based algorithms to match people with the best treatments, and includes early intervention before someone hits ‘rock bottom.’ The goal is to create a place where science, treatment and prevention come together to improve lives.”