From smoking to excessive exercise to opioid abuse, people living with addiction are compelled to engage in repeated behaviour despite its negative consequences. One reason seems to be because of a rewarding effect in the brain. We will explore how the brain pathways of reward and reinforcement work on the mind-brain connection.

Substance use disorder, in particular, is a pressing and complex issue. Solving it will rely not just on understanding biology and social factors, but acknowledging the impact of culture and society on, for example, available intervention strategies and challenges to policy development . 

Join RCIScience and the Institute for Science, Society and Policy to explore the relationships between the mind, the brain and addiction, the societal implications, and what that evidence has to say about policy relating to addressing addictions.

Delivered with support from National Research Council Canada (NRC).

Panellists

Science
Dr. Andra Smith - Professor, School of Psychology, University of Ottawa

Society
Dr. Matthew Young - Senior Research and Policy Analyst, Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse and Addiction

Policy
Dr. Patrick Fafard - Associate Professor, Public and International Affairs, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ottawa 

Moderator
Ursula Gobel - Vice-President, Stakeholder Engagement and Advancement of Society, SSHRC