A professional organization dedicated to translating scientific knowledge from the field of prevention science into effective and sustainable practices, systems and policies.
Virtual Congressional Briefing Series
Protecting Federal Leadership in Addiction Science and Public Health
PART IV REGISTRATION:
Wednesday, April 15, 2026
2:00 - 3:30pm ET
The Addiction Science Defense Network (ASDN) is pleased to announce an upcoming series of six congressional briefings on the critical importance of sustained federal support for addiction research, prevention, treatment, and recovery services. This briefing series will consist of six sessions, approximately 3-4 weeks apart.
Addiction remains a profound public health challenge, touching every community and family across the US. While the costs—social, economic, and personal—are immense, so too are the opportunities before us. Groundbreaking research continues to reveal the complex biological, psychological, and social factors driving substance use disorders. This body of research has led to:
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development of more effective treatments and prevention programs,
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increasingly accurate identification of the predictors of substance use and dependence,
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a better understanding of how different people are likely to respond to interventions so they can be more appropriately treated, and
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knowledge about the risk factors for relapse so we can intervene and provide support.
In essence, through continued federal leadership and investment, our nation has been making significant strides toward preventing youth substance use and improving the lives of individuals with addiction and their families.
ASDN—comprised of scientists, practitioners, educators, clinicians, community advocates, and people with lived experience—advocates to preserve funding for federal agencies that serve as the backbone of our nation’s efforts to address our substance use disorder crises through research and the development of evidence-based programs and policies. We are also urging that the federal government scale up supports for States and Communities to be able to reliably deliver needed programs and services.
Part I – Federal Response to Addiction in the U.S.
This session occurred on January 13, 2026. Speakers covered the impact of addiction on public health, the indispensable roles of the CDC and SAMHSA in combating substance use disorders by supporting treatment and prevention services, and the economic and human consequences of underfunding for states and constituents.
Part II – Scientific Foundations for Our Response to Addiction
This session occurred on February 5, 2026. Speakers highlighted ongoing and future scientific advancements in addiction research, showcased NIH’s role in developing new treatments and preventive interventions, and emphasized the importance of ongoing federal leadership and investment in addiction science and services.
Part III – Connecting Addiction Science to Public Health Policy
This session will focus on bridging scientific research with impactful public health policy, aiming to create a more effective and efficient system of services. The discussion will address the critical question: Do investments in research and evidence-based programs make a difference in public health outcomes?
Part IV – The Promise of Prevention
Wednesday, April 15th from 2:00-3:30pm ET | REGISTER for Part IV
This session will showcase how prevention research has led to a better understanding of the causal mechanisms of substance misuse and addiction, leading to the development of programs, policies, and practices to prevent pathways to substance use in our youth.
Part V – The Importance of Community Engaged Research to Reduce Substance Use and Promote Community Well-Being
This session will focus on the essential role that community involvement plays in advancing research related to substance use prevention, intervention, and recovery. Drawing on diverse expertise, the session will highlight how engaging communities not only enhances the relevance and effectiveness of research but also ensures that policies and interventions are culturally responsive and sustainable.
Part VI – The Aftermath: A Whole of Society Approach to Substance Use (TBD)
This session will feature a foremost authority from Alberta Canada who is transforming systems and mindsets through an understanding of how lifelong health is determined by more than just our genes: early life experiences change our brains in ways that make us more or less vulnerable to health problems in adulthood. A science-based roadmap will be presented for improving our physical and mental health, reducing vulnerability to addiction, and addressing related health problems across the lifespan.
Agenda & Speakers
Part IV – The Promise of Prevention
Moderator
Dr. Diana Fishbein, Nova Scholar, is the President Director of the National Prevention Science Coalition to Improve Lives (NPSC), a senior scientist in the FPG Child Development Institute at UNC-Chapel Hill, and part-time research faculty at Penn State. Her 40 year career has focused on addiction-related research, funded largely by NIH, other federal agencies and foundations, as well as on translating science into public health policy.
Keynote
Zili Sloboda, ScD, President, Applied Prevention Science International
"The Promise of Prevention to Address Addiction"
Overview: The full spectrum of the science and practice (from prevention and risk reduction to treatment and recovery) as it applies to substance use and addiction.
Nova Zili Sloboda, ScD. is President of Applied Prevention Science International. She was trained in medical sociology and epidemiology. Her research included substance use epidemiology, services research, and the evaluation of treatment and prevention programs. Her current focus is on workforce development in the area of prevention and the relationship between training and the implementation of evidence-based prevention interventions and policies. She has served on the faculties of Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, the University of Illinois School of Public Health, and The University of Akron. Prior to this last position, Dr. Sloboda worked for twelve years at the National Institute on Drug Abuse in several capacities, finally as the Director of the Division of Epidemiology and Prevention Research. She was a founder of the U.S. and E.U. Societies for Prevention Research and is well-published in the area of drug abuse epidemiology and substance use prevention. Her most recent contribution to the prevention science literature is the series Advancing Prevention Science. She has a commitment to the dissemination of evidence-based programming and has worked with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to develop international standards for drug use prevention based on research evidence, and as an advisor to the U.S. Prevention Technology Transfer Centers.
Nathaniel Riggs, PhD, Executive Director, Prevention Research Center, Colorado State University
"The Interface of Neuroscience and Prevention: Implications for Practice and Policy"
Overview: How evidence-based preventive interventions can promote youth brain development during critical windows of vulnerability for substance use initiation and escalation.
Dr. Riggs is the Executive Director of the Colorado State University Prevention Research Center, a campus-wide trans-disciplinary center committed to studying the development, implementation, and evaluation of effective and sustainable preventive interventions across the lifespan. He is also the co-director of the Colorado Workforce Capacity Center, a statewide initiative dedicated to strengthening the professional workforce serving children and families with high behavioral health and social service needs. He has served on the board of directors at the Society for Prevention Research and as an Associate Editor of Prevention Science, the field’s flagship academic journal. Dr. Riggs has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles on topics that include testing preventive interventions that promote youth socioemotional development and prevent adolescent risk behaviors. A primary research focus of his is translating basic research in developmental neuroscience to school-based and family-focused interventions that prevent child and adolescent behavioral health problems, including substance use. Dr. Riggs is also a community-engaged scholar who works alongside community partners to support their implementation of evidence-based preventive interventions.
Linda Richter, PhD, Senior Vice President of Prevention Research and Policy, Partnership to End Addiction
"Moving Upstream: Bringing an Earlier and Broader Research-Based Approach to Prevention"
Overview: We’ve made major progress in substance use prevention in recent decades by taking an earlier and more comprehensive approach and emphasizing research-based strategies. Youth substance use is declining, and more young people are choosing not to use substances at all. But today’s substance use landscape is far more dangerous than ever before, making it critical to invest in effective prevention, maintain strong national surveillance of trends and emerging threats, and support research on effective early interventions.
Linda Richter, PhD, is Senior Vice President of Prevention Research and Policy at Partnership to End Addiction, where she leads the organization’s national prevention research and policy agenda. Her work focuses on advancing earlier, broader, and more effective approaches to substance use prevention, with particular emphasis on policies, programs, and practices that protect young people and promote healthy development. Dr. Richter translates research into practice by leveraging her own scholarship and the broader evidence base to inform parents, educators, health professionals, and policymakers about best practices in prevention and addiction care. She regularly disseminates this work through peer-reviewed publications, policy reports and white papers, webinars and professional trainings, and national and local media commentary. She has authored more than 70 peer-reviewed journal articles, commentaries, and book chapters; serves on numerous advisory panels and expert workgroups; and presents regularly at local, state, and national conferences.
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Phillip W. Graham, DrPH, MPH, Principal Scientist, RTI International and President, Society for Prevention Research
Overview: Prevention policies that consider cultural differences, community contexts, systems change, and place-based strategies.
Phillip W. Graham, DrPH, is a Principal Scientist at RTI International with more than 30 years of experience conducting community-based research and evaluation focused on substance use prevention, violence reduction, and health equity. His work examines the effects of witnessing community violence, the protective role of ethnic identity among African American male adolescents, and the effectiveness of school- and community-based interventions designed to promote healthy youth development and reduce behavioral health risks.
Dr. Graham has led numerous federal, state, and local evaluations of prevention initiatives addressing youth violence, substance misuse, and related health disparities. He currently serves as Principal Investigator on a CDC-funded study assessing the effectiveness of a family strengthening intervention designed to mitigate the impact of adverse childhood experiences on opioid misuse. He also leads the NIDA-funded HEAL Prevention Coordinating Center, which supports a portfolio of research projects aimed at preventing opioid misuse among older adolescents and young adults. His recent work emphasizes inclusive, equity-centered research approaches to understanding the impact of community violence interventions on community-level violence and trauma. Dr. Graham currently serves as President of the Society for Prevention Research.
Why Your Participation Matters
Federal leadership is essential to maintaining the scale, consistency, and vision necessary to address the complex challenge of addiction. The briefing will provide members of Congress, their staff, agency officials, national and community organizations, media, and the public with the latest data and real-world stories illustrating why robust support for NIH, CDC, and SAMHSA is vital to saving lives, fostering innovation, and promoting recovery nationwide.
Join ASDN as we advocate for continued and increased federal investment in addiction science and services. Together, we can ensure the future health and well-being of millions of Americans and sustain the progress our nation has made in the fight against substance use disorders.