| About Our Doctors
Charles
P. O’Brien, MD, PhD
Dr. O’Brien received his MD and PhD degrees
from Tulane University, and received residency
training in psychiatry, neurology, and medicine
at Harvard, the University of London, Tulane and
the University of Pennsylvania (Penn). He is board-certified
in psychiatry, neurology and addiction psychiatry.
One of the most prominent addiction researchers
in the world, Dr. O’Brien has made many
important discoveries and contributions over the
past 30 years that have become the standard of
care in addiction treatment throughout the world.
Aside from developing medications to treat alcohol,
opioid, and cocaine dependence, his work has also
increased the understanding of the clinical aspects
of addiction and the neurobiology of relapse.
Among his numerous honors, Dr. O’Brien
was elected to the Institute of Medicine of the
National Academy of Sciences in 1991, and received
the Nathan B. Eddy award for research from the
College on Problems of Drug Dependence in 2003.
He has advised our national government on drug
policy for decades, and was the President of the
American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, and
the Association for Research in Nervous and Mental
Disease.
Dr. O’Brien is the Vice-Chair of Psychiatry
at Penn, and the Director of the prestigious Center
for Studies in Addiction.
Charles O’Brien Center for Addiction
Treatment - Core Staff
Charles
Dackis, MD
Director
Dr. Dackis received his MD degree from Duke University
and completed his psychiatric residency at Columbia
University. He is board-certified in Psychiatry
and Addiction Psychiatry.
Before joining the Penn faculty in 1998, Dr.
Dackis was an addiction researcher and the Medical
Director of private psychiatric hospitals for
several years. He is currently the Chief of Psychiatry
at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center.
His research has focused primarily on the pharmacology
and neurobiology of cocaine addiction. He developed
the dopamine depletion hypothesis of cocaine
dependence 20 years ago. Dr. Dackis has authored
numerous publications in the areas of addiction
(alcohol, cocaine, heroin, and marijuana) and
co-occurring disorders. He has recently served
as the principal investigator in several studies
assessing Modafinil treatment for cocaine addiction.
Kyle
Kampman, MD
Medical Director
Dr. Kampman received his MD degree from Tulane
University School and completed his psychiatric
residency and addiction fellowship at Penn. He
is board-certified in Psychiatry and Addiction
Psychiatry.
His primary research interests include the pharmacological
treatment of cocaine dependence, although he has
also conducted original research in the treatment
of alcoholism, opiate dependence, and nicotine
dependence.
Dr. Kampman developed the widely used Cocaine
Selective Severity Assessment (CSSA), which measures
cocaine withdrawal, and demonstrated its importance
in the treatment of cocaine dependence. Dr. Kampman
is currently investigating topiramate, which shows
promising potential as a cocaine treatment.
Tracy
Steen, PhD
Clinical Director
Dr. Steen received her PhD degree in clinical
psychology from the University of Michigan, and
she completed a postdoctoral fellowship in positive
psychology at Penn. She then joined the Center
for Studies in Addiction where she specialized
in assessing and treating individuals with addictive
illnesses.
Dr. Steen’s research background in positive
psychology influences her current approach to
addiction treatment. She has published in areas
that are central to the recovery process, including
the identification and development of character
strengths (e.g. perseverance, courage, honesty,
sense of humor, and spirituality).
Panel of Distinguished Doctors
James
Cornish, MD
Daniel
Langleben, MD
Jim
McKay, PhD
John Mezochow, MD
Tom
McLellan, PhD
Charles
O’Brien, MD, PhD
David
Oslin, MD
Carlos Tirado, MD
Robert
Weinrieb, MD
George
Woody, MD
|