2026 McGovern Institute Symposium

Decoding Addiction: Breaking new ground in research and clinical care

• Date: Friday, October 23, 2026
• Location: Singleton Auditorium (46-3002, Third Floor of MIT Building 46) 
• Time: 1:00pm - 5:15pm with reception to follow 
• Format: In person
• Admission: Event is free and open to the public. Registration is required.

Symposium Overview

This symposium brings together scientists, engineers, clinicians, and emerging researchers whose work advances the understanding and treatment of substance use disorders. Spanning discoveries in humans and animal models, the conference bridges basic research and clinical care, fostering collaborations that result in novel treatment strategies for one of society’s most urgent public health challenges.

Speakers Include: 

• Patricia Janak, Bloomberg Distinguished Professor, Departments of Psychological and Brain Sciences, and Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
• Geoffrey Schoenbaum, Distinguished Investigator, Chief, Cellular and Neurocomputational Systems; Branch Chief, Behavioral Neurophysiology Neuroscience Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse
• A. Eden Evins, Director of Center for Addiction Medicine, Mass General Hospital
• Sarah Wakeman, Senior Medical Director for Substance Use Disorder, Mass General Brigham
• Yasaman Bioki, Research Scientist, Gabrieli lab at MIT
• Ke Chen, Postdoctoral Associate, Wang lab at MIT 
• Pema Maretich, Postdoctoral Associate, Anikeeva lab at MIT
• Wenyu Tu, Postdoctoral Associate, Jasanoff lab at MIT