Plasticity Underlying Persistence of Relapse Vulnerability
The Department of Psychiatry welcomes Marina Wolf, PhD as our featured speaker for the next Distinguished Scientist Lecture on October 30, 2026.
Dr. Wolf is Professor of Behavioral Neuroscience at Oregon Health & Science University and a pioneer in studying the role of neuronal plasticity in drug addiction. Her laboratory uses animal models to understand why persons recovering from substance use disorder remain vulnerable to drug craving and relapse even after long periods of abstinence. After receiving her PhD in Pharmacology from Yale, she trained as a postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Cell Biology at Sinai Hospital of Detroit. She was Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Wayne State University before moving to the Chicago Medical School in 1992. Dr. Wolf's laboratory has been continuously supported by NIDA since 1992. She is presently Principal Investigator for two R01 awards and is a past recipient of a Merit Award from NIDA (R37) as well as a Senior Scientist Research and Mentorship Award (K05). She has served as a member of the NIDA Advisory Council, the NIH Council of Councils, the NIDA Board of Scientific Counselors, the Scientific Council of the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation, the Board of the American Brain Coalition, and the Council of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP). Dr. Wolf is a past president of the ACNP and has served on many federal study sections. She was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2017.
Join us in the WPH Auditorium for this in-person lecture.
For More Information, please contact Shardai Key-Ward at keysj4@upmc.edu.
CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS. The entirety of this program will be a lecture by the speaker(s). All individuals able to control the content of this educational activity are required to disclose all relevant financial relationships with any proprietary entity producing, marketing, re-selling, or distributing health care goods or services, used on, or consumed by, patients. Registration is not required for this event. This event is free and there will be no refunds. The University of Pittsburgh is an affirmative action, equal opportunity institution. The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians. The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine designates this educational activity for a maximum of 1.5 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM. Each physician should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. Other health care professionals are awarded .15 continuing education units (CEUs), which are equal to 1.5 contact hours. In accordance with Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education requirements on disclosure, information about relationships of presenters with commercial interests (if any) will be included in materials which will be distributed at the time of the conference. WPH is approved by the American Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists. WPH maintains responsibility for this program and its contents. This program is being offered for 1.5 continuing education credits. The indicated number of clock hours of continuing education is provided through UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital’s Office of Educational Resources and Planning, a PA-approved provider of social work continuing education in accordance with all the applicable educational and professional standards of the Pennsylvania State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapist. These clock hours satisfy requirements for LSW/LCSW, LPC and LMFT renewal. For more information, call (412) 204-9085.
