What’s New in the CTN?
Updates from the NIDA National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network. Want to share some news about your protocol, node, publications or presentations, or other CTN-related work here and/or in the CTN Bulletin? Email us at ctnlib@uw.edu!
CTN Community Representation Council Meeting Summary (February 2026)
The CTN Community Representative Council (CIRCL) is a collaborative of the national CTN that comes together bimonthly to courageously share what’s happening in their communities. This brief is an overview of topics discussed at this meeting and is not an exhaustive review. Download a copy of the brief. The following themes and discussions were highlighted during this meeting: The thoughts and experiences herein are those of CIRCL members and do not represent the National Institute on Drug Abuse or the Clinical Trials Network. The voices empowered by CIRCL are intended…
News from the New York Node: Dr. Peggy Swarbrick Receives NJAMHAA Trailblazer in Wellness Award!
On behalf of the CTN New York Node and our academic partners, including Dr. Denise Hien at Rutgers University, big congratulations to Dr. Margaret (Peggy) Swarbrick on her New Jersey Association of Mental Health and Addiction Agencies (NJAMHAA) Trailblazer in Wellness Award! Dr. Swarbrick is the Associate Director of the Rutgers Center of Alcohol & Substance Use Studies and a Research Professor at the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology. The Center of Alcohol & Substance Use Studies and the larger Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology community celebrate Dr….
New in the Library (March – April 2026)
Here are the latest items added to the CTN Dissemination Library for March – April 2026 (this post will be updated as new items come in): Health plan disenrollment and mortality after initiation of medications for opioid use disorder. Nguyen AP, et al. JAMA Psychiatry 2026 (in press). Comparative effectiveness of social-contextual treatments for improving substance-related problems among Black adults: An individual-level data synthesis. Espinosa A, et al. Addiction 2026 (in press). (CTN-0125) Patient characteristics associated with successful initiation of extended-release naltrexone in the X:BOT trial. Potter K, et al….
University of Cincinnati (Ohio Valley Node) Summer Speaker Series is Back!
Join host Ohio Valley Node PI T. John Winhusen, PhD, this summer for the University of Cincinnati/UC Health Addiction Center’s webinar series! This series will highlight cutting-edge UC addiction research and UC-community collaborations focused on prevention and treatment. Schedule June 10, 2026 | 12-1pm ETBeyond Daily Dosing: Comparing Extended-Release and Sublingual Buprenorphine for Opioid Use Disorder in Pregnancy and Postpartum – Research Evidence and Lived ExperienceT. John Winhusen, PhD (U. Cincinnati) and Kelsie Buchanan (Recovery Advocate) July 8, 2026 | 12-1pm ETCharacterizing Heavy Drinking in Midlife and Older Adults via…
Now in the CTN Library: NIDA CTN Common Data Elements
The NIDA CTN Common Data Elements website has moved to the CTN Dissemination Library! The CTN-CDE portal provides a single source for National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Clinical Trials Network (CTN)-recommended Common Data Elements (CDEs) of Substance Use Disorders for use in clinical trials and electronic health records (EHRs). A “data element” describes the (data base) characteristics for a discrete piece of data that will be collected, stored or exchanged during the course of a study or a health examination, but does not include the collected data. A “common…
CTN Primary Care SIG Webinar: Conducting Substance Use Research in Prison (March 23, 2026, 12pm ET)
The Primary Care SIG aims to engage primary care in research, develop substance use treatment interventions relevant to community-based practice, and promote the transfer of evidence-based results from substance use research into community-based practices. Next SIG Meeting: Conducting Substance Use Research in Prisons Presenter: Helen Jack, MD, Assistant Professor, University of Washington Join Zoom Meeting here Meeting ID: 943 3434 2090 Passcode: 370819 Primary Care SIG Schedule and Leadership The Primary Care SIG is led by Claire Simon, MD, and Sebastian Tong, MD, MPH, and meets every other month on the 4th Monday of the month…
New in the Library (February – March 2026)
Here are the latest items added to the CTN Dissemination Library for February – March 2026 (this post will be updated as new items come in): Randomized controlled pilot trial of extended-release buprenorphine vs. sublingual buprenorphine-naloxone in rural settings (RXR): Study rationale and design. Mooney LJ, et al. Contemporary Clinical Trials 2026;108288 (in press). (CTN-0102-XR) The association between sleep disturbance and stimulant use: A cross-lagged examination. Horigian VE, et al. Addiction 2026 (in press). (CTN-0037, CTN-0048, CTN-0068) Perspectives on clinical champions implementing hospital-based opioid treatment in US hospitals. Peng L,…
News from the Appalachian Node: Brief Report for CTN-0135 Published
New Node Coordinator for the Appalachian Node: The Appalachian Node is excited to welcome Ellen Kline (ellenkline@pitt.edu) as our Node Coordinator. The Brief Report for CTN-0135 has been published: Winstanley EL, Leibschutz JM, Murray-Krezan C, Switzer GE, Nash S, Kawasaki S. Brief Report: Meth, Tranq, Gas Station Heroin & Other Drugs Complicating Addiction Treatment. American Journal on the Addictions 2026, 1-4. DOI: 10.1111/ajad.70151. The report describes the results of a single survey item from a national survey (n=396) that was conducted for CTN-0135 using a random sample of clinicians waivered…
News from the Health System Node: Webinar about Effects of Cannabis Legalization on Mental Health (April 2, 2026, 10am PT)
Join the Health Systems Node for the next installment of their Seminar Series: Effects of Cannabis Legalization on Mental Health and Substance Use in Adults and Thoughts on Future Directions in Cannabis Research Thursday, April 2, 2026, 10am PT / 1pm ET Dr. Christian Hopfer, Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and addiction psychiatrist, will briefly review the pharmacology of cannabinoids, present results of a recently completed study on the effects of cannabis legalization on mental health and substance use, and discuss ongoing projects including…
New in the PATHS Toolkit: Workbook on OUD and Pregnancy
The Prenatal Action for Taking Healthy Steps (PATHS) toolkit, developed out of protocol CTN-0080-A3 (led by the Ohio Valley Node), offers evidence-based educational resources about the use of medication to treat opioid use disorder (OUD) during and after pregnancy. Toolkit materials include flyers, info sheets, posters, an education video, social media images and short videos (“Reels”) for download and sharing, and a discussion guide that can be used to direct conversations about MOUD in pregnant/postpartum people either in a group or individual settings, as well as a set of external links…
News from the Pacific Northwest Node: Low-Dose Ketamine Reduces Fentanyl Withdrawal Symptoms
A new Addiction Science and Clinical Practice paper co-authored by Pacific Northwest Node researchers Crystal Smith and Cindy Grande describes a new, reliable strategy that allows fentanyl users to start treatment without prolonged suffering: low-dose ketamine. Fentanyl continues to cause the majority of drug overdoses in the U.S. Buprenorphine, a medication used to treat opioid use disorder (OUD), is effective and saves lives, but people often avoid it for fear of painful opioid withdrawal symptoms that can occur when starting the medication. The paper, published in early February, reports on…
News from the Greater Intermountain Node: Join the Secondary Analysis SIG
Are you interested in expanding the impact of your CTN study or exploring new research questions using existing CTN datasets? The Secondary Analysis Special Interest Group (SIG) invites you to join our collaborative community! We welcome: Our group provides a supportive environment to discuss concepts, share methodologic insights, and develop high-impact secondary analyses that advance the CTN mission. If you are interested in presenting, collaborating, or attending our meetings, please contact Jerry Cochran (jerry.cochran@hsc.utah.edu) or Kristi Carlston (kristi.carlston@hsc.utah.edu) with the Greater Intermountain Node. We look forward to connecting with you…
News from the Appalachian Node: GLP-1s for Addiction
Sarah Kawasaki, MD, Co-Investigator of the CTN Appalachian Node was quoted in a recent New Yorker article entitled, “Can Ozempic Cure Addiction?“ GLP-1 medications like Ozempic mimic a naturally occurring hormone called glucagon-like peptide 1, which scientists have historically associated with digestion. But it’s increasingly clear that GLP-1 affects much more than eating, and these medications are now being studied as potential treatments for a number of conditions, including addiction. (There are currently two CTN trials involving GLP-1 medications: CTN-0152 and CTN-0153.) Sarah Kawasaki, chief of addiction services at Penn…
REGISTER NOW! CTN Annual Steering Committee Meeting, April 13-15, 2026 (Bethesda, MD)
The National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network (CTN) Annual Scientific and Steering Committee Meeting will take place Monday–Wednesday, April 13–15, 2026. The meeting will be held in person at the Natcher Building on the NIH Campus in Bethesda, Maryland. For those who are unable to attend onsite, all plenary sessions and select breakout sessions will be available virtually. Please note that the level of interaction for virtual attendees will vary by session. Find meeting details and registration information here! Poster submissions Sharing results, experiences, techniques, and insights from our…
Assistant Professors & Post-Doc Scholars: Apply for the LEAD Program! (Deadline March 31, 2026)
The Learning for Early Careers in Addiction and Development (LEAD) training program was developed to support the efforts of assistant professors and post-doctoral scholars from all backgrounds to receive funding from NIH as independent scientists and make the transition to leading scholars in the field. The LEAD Program is integrated within the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Clinical Trials Network (CTN) and uses a team mentoring approach: each LEAD Program scholar works with a CTN primary mentor, while also receiving guidance from a UCSF mentor and a nationally regarded career development mentor. The LEAD…
New in the Library (January – February 2026)
Here are the latest items added to the CTN Dissemination Library for January – February 2026 (this post will be updated as new items come in): Keepin’ it real: A school-based substance use prevention intervention. Marsiglia F & Kulis S. Youth Special Interest Group (SIG) webinar, January 2026. Emergency department-initiated buprenorphine for opioid use disorder: A randomized clinical trial. D’Onofrio G, et al. JAMA 2026 (in press). (Primary outcomes for CTN-0099) Investigator- and site-level outcomes of participation in an ED-based clinical trial [commentary]. Carpenter JE, et al. JAMA Network Open…
Western States Node Webinar: Problems Initiating Buprenorphine Treatment Among Patients Using Fentanyl (Feb 25, 2026) CME available!
Join the CTN Western States Node and the Northwest and Pacific Southwest Addiction Technology Transfer Centers (ATTCs) for their next joint webinar, February 25, 2026, 11am-12:30pm PT! In this session, Erin Winstanley, PhD (CTN Appalachian Node), will describe a NIDA Clinical Trials Network study, CTN-0135, examining clinician-reported challenges with initiating buprenorphine for people using fentanyl, including precipitated or prolonged withdrawal, patient reports that buprenorphine was ineffective, and patient preference for methadone. In response to these challenges, most clinicians surveyed reported modifying their standard induction protocols or patient counseling approaches. Clinicians…
Postdoc Fellowship Openings for Psychedelic/Cannabis Research at Johns Hopkins Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit (BPRU)
The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine invites applications for postdoctoral research fellowships at the Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit (BPRU) within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences with a special focus on research related to psychedelics and/or cannabis. BPRU Fellows: Areas of Interest: Opportunities include research related to a variety of psychoactive drug classes, but the current position would be predominantly focused on research related to psilocybin, psychedelics, and/orcannabis/cannabinoids. Research projects include human behavioral pharmacology studies that utilize a variety of research methodologies including acute drug administration, cognitive and…
News from the Northeast Node: Innovations in OUD Treatment webinar (Feb. 26, 12pm ET)
Join the CTN Northeast Node for the next installment of their long-running Science Series: Innovations in Opioid Use Disorder Treatment February 26, 2026, 12-1pm ETPresenter: Sarah Wakeman, MD This session will review changes in the opioid overdose crisis and innovations in opioid use disorder treatment, including novel approaches to initiating buprenorphine, use of long-acting injectable buprenorphine, and strategies for methadone initiation in general medical settings. Register for the Science Series session here! Posted on January 27, 2026