IUPUI graduate program highlights two psychology department strengths

  • Sept. 18, 2013

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Department of Psychology at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis has renamed a portion of its graduate program to better emphasize its history of addiction research and strong focus on the emerging field of neuroscience.

The Addiction Neuroscience Graduate Program, previously known as the Psychobiology of Addictions Program, was renamed to better reflect the strengths, research expertise and teaching strategy of the department for the future, said Cristine Czachowski, associate professor of psychology and head of the program in the School of Science at IUPUI. The program exists entirely in Indianapolis, but the Ph.D. is issued from Purdue University in West Lafayette.

“We have several new faculty, and our department as a group represents a new generation of researchers using the latest technology and knowledge available,” Czachowski said.

“Our program is adopting what is innovative and emerging in psychology research today,” she added.

The Department of Psychology also offers a Ph.D. in clinical psychology, a long-standing strength for the IUPUI department, as well as a nationally recognized Master of Science degree in industrial/organizational psychology. The Ph.D. in addiction neuroscience benefits from the department’s established expertise in addiction research, offering students the opportunity to pursue careers related to substance abuse, the effects of exposure to drugs and alcohol on neurophysiology and other specialties of neuroscience, one of the fastest growing fields in the health science movement across the country.

“This focus will allow us to continue to advance our work in addiction research and better align us with other programs on campus and in the region,” Czachowski said.

The Department of Psychology works closely with the medical neuroscience program at the Indiana University School of Medicine, the Indiana Alcohol Researcher Center and the Stark Neuroscience Research Institute. In addition, IU Health recently opened its first phase of a neuroscience campus (a treatment and research center), and the adjacent IU Neuroscience Research Center is set to open in 2014.

“This new name for the graduate program redefines the program’s focus on training in the neurosciences of drug and alcohol addiction. It reinforces the overall health and life science focus of the IUPUI campus,” said Steve Boehm, associate professor of psychology and director of the Undergraduate Neuroscience Program at IUPUI.

The School of Science launched a neuroscience undergraduate program in 2012 and recently added a minor in neuroscience to its degree offerings at IUPUI.

“This program will lead to more opportunities for undergraduates and graduate students to collaborate on a variety of cutting-edge research issues and position them well for success in one of the most in-demand careers in Indiana,” Czachowski said.

About the School of Science at IUPUI

The School of Science is committed to excellence in teaching, research and service in the biological, physical, behavioral and mathematical sciences. The School is dedicated to being a leading resource for interdisciplinary research and science education in support of Indiana's effort to expand and diversify its economy.

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