Dr. Koob, an internationally-recognized expert on alcohol and stress, and the neurobiology of addiction, is the Director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). In this role, he oversees a wide range of alcohol-related research, including genetics, neuroscience, epidemiology, prevention and treatment.

Dr. Koob is the former Director of the Alcohol Research Center at the Scripps Research Institute, where he also served as Professor and Chair of the Scripps’ Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders.

Dr. Koob’s neurobiology research has advanced our understanding of the anatomical connections of emotional systems and the neurochemistry of emotional function. This background led to investigations into why certain alcohol drinkers transition to addiction while others do not, and how the brain and body respond to alcohol consumption.

Dr. Koob has also identified the major role that brain stress systems play in the development of addiction. He is the author of more than 650 peer-reviewed scientific papers, and the co-author of The Neurobiology of Addiction, a comprehensive review of the most critical neurobiology of addiction research conducted over the past 50 years.