Welcome

The Addictions Division within the Department of Psychiatry is a multi-disciplinary division focused on clinical care, research, and training to improve prevention and treatment of substance use disorders. Our team includes clinicians, educators, and researchers with backgrounds in Psychiatry, Emergency Medicine, Psychology, Data Science, and Neuroscience.

From the Chief

From the Chief

The opioid epidemic is the leading cause of accidental death in Virginia, a major public health problem for the state. Partly related to the opioid epidemic, people are beginning to realize that addiction cuts across all demographics and socioeconomic classes. The stigma is still there, but I think we’re making headway.

-F. Gerard Moeller, M.D.

MOTIVATE Clinic

MOTIVATE is an outpatient addiction medicine clinic that helps adults regain control over their lives and health.

We focus on both causes and treatment of substance use disorders through innovative research, pharmacotherapy, counseling, care coordination and education.

Highlights of the MOTIVATE Clinic:

Individualized treatment for substance use disorders.
Medication for Addiction Treatment (MAT) including buprenorphine
Individual and group therapies.
Care Coordination with other providers and services.
Recovery support during pregnancy, labor, and delivery, and postpartum.
Referrals to higher level of care if needed.

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Research

Many of our faculty are heavily involved in research at the VCU Institute for Drug and Alcohol Studies, and we’re proud to be at the forefront of innovative, groundbreaking clinical research in the following areas:

Medication development
Community engagement
Neurobiology of addictions
Adolescent brain cognitive development
International research on addictions

Learn more about our research

Residency

Trainees in our four-year residency program rotate through outpatient addiction clinics and the addiction consultation service over the course of their time at VCU. For residents interested in specializing in addictions, elective rotations and mentorship opportunities in preparation for a fellowship are available within the division.

Learn more about the residency ⟶

Fellowship

Funded by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration, VCU's competitive addiction medicine fellowship accepts two applicants each year. Fellows gain hands-on clinical experience in ambulatory addiction and addiction consultation, plus additional opportunities for leadership, teaching and administrative training. The program also includes a three-month research rotation at the VCU Institute for Drug and Alcohol Studies.

Learn more about our fellowship

Faculty

F. Gerard Moeller, M.D.

Division Chief
Addiction Medicine

F. Gerard Moeller, M.D.

Division Chief
Addiction Medicine

Department of Psychiatry

Addiction Medicine Division Chief

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Albert J. Arias, M.D.

Associate Professor

Albert J. Arias, M.D.

Associate Professor

Department of Psychiatry

Addiction Fellowship Program Director
Associate Professor
Associate Division Director, Addiction Psychiatry
Interim Medical Director, MOTIVATE clinic

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James M Bjork, Ph.D.

Professor

James M Bjork, Ph.D.

Professor

Department of Psychiatry

Addiction Medicine

Email: james.bjork@vcuhealth.org

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Debbie DiazGranados, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

Debbie DiazGranados, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

Department of Psychiatry

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Tamas Gal, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

Tamas Gal, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

Department of Psychiatry

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Megan Lemay, M.D.

Associate Professor

Megan Lemay, M.D.

Associate Professor

Department of Psychiatry

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Lori Keyser-Marcus, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

Lori Keyser-Marcus, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

Department of Psychiatry

Addiction Medicine

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Liangsuo Ma, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Liangsuo Ma, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Department of Psychiatry

Addiction Medicine

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Monica Melmer, M.D.

Assistant Professor

Monica Melmer, M.D.

Assistant Professor

Department of Psychiatry

Email: monica.melmer@vcuhealth.org

Joel L. Steinberg, M.D.

Professor

Joel L. Steinberg, M.D.

Professor

Department of Psychiatry

Health Practitioners Monitoring Program (HPMP)
Professor
Institute for Drug and Alcohol Studies
Director, Collaborative Advanced Research Imaging program

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