Research summary
Mental health disorders and substance use sometimes occur together. People with a mental illness, such as anxiety, depression or post-traumatic stress disorder, may use drugs or alcohol as a form of self-medication. As Canada Research Chair in Translational Neuropsychopharmacology, Dr. Jibran Khokhar is working to answer critical questions about addiction in patients with serious mental illnesses.
By combining animal models with methods similar to those used to patient studies, he and his research team are investigating the causal basis of these co-occurring disorders. In particular, they are trying to understand the impact of adolescent drug and alcohol use on patient outcomes. He and his team are also establishing how the findings from genetic studies of substance use or mental illness shed light on why patients might be vulnerability to these disorders. Ultimately, their aim is to provide the knowledge needed to help prevent and treat these challenging disorders.