From 21 to 23 October 2026, the 20th Scientific Meeting of the German Society for Addiction Research and Addiction Therapy (DG-Sucht) will take place in Leipzig. Under the title “Addiction Stigma in Transition: Evidence, Practice, Perspectives,” the conference will address the stigmatization of substance use disorders – a topic of major societal, scientific, and health policy relevance. Ten years after the memorandum “Understanding and Overcoming the Stigma of Substance Use D

Why do some people develop an addiction – and what happens in the brain when control over substance use is increasingly lost? Rainer Spanagel, spokesperson of TRR 265, discusses these questions in a recent episode of WELT’s science podcast “Aha! Zehn Minuten Alltags-Wissen”. In the interview, he explains how alcohol, nicotine and cannabis, as well as behaviours such as gaming or social media use, affect the brain’s reward system. Particular attention is given to the role of d

How can relapses in alcohol use disorder be detected and prevented at an early stage? A recent article by Rainer Spanagel and Markus Reichert, published in the DFG magazine forschung, demonstrates how modern smartphone technologies and mobile sensors can be used to monitor drinking behaviour in real time and identify individual risk situations in everyday life. As part of TRR 265 ReCoDe, more than 800 individuals with alcohol use disorder were followed over the course of one

On 6 October 2026, the 9th Feuerlein Symposium on Health Services Research in Addiction Treatment will take place as a hybrid event at the International Academic Forum Heidelberg (IWH) and online. This year's symposium focuses on "Challenges of interinstitutional collaboration in addiction treatment and cross-sectoral care." It will bring together experts from research, healthcare, policy, and clinical practice to discuss current challenges and develop strategies for improvin

Subproject C01 of the Collaborative Research Centre/Transregio TRR 265 develops and validates innovative therapeutic approaches for individuals with substance use disorders, including alcohol use disorder (AUD) and tobacco use disorder (TUD). Recent findings in individuals with alcohol use disorder demonstrate that a chess-based cognitive remediation training programme can improve sustained attention and enhance quality of life. The training was very well received by particip

The scientists of the Collaborative Research Center TRR 265 "Losing and Regaining Control over Drug Intake" met again for their joint retreat in Weimar. The focus was on scientific exchange, the presentation of current research results, and the strategic development of the research network. All sub-projects presented the current status of their work and discussed their results with the other project groups. Numerous scientific discussions led to the development of new ideas a

In a recent commentary published in Biological Psychiatry , Sarah Gerhardt discusses emerging neurobiological evidence on sex and hormone dependent differences in the processing of drug associated cues in substance use disorders. The article highlights how fluctuations in estradiol and progesterone across the menstrual cycle can modulate neural cue reactivity as well as the regulation of craving. These findings suggest that hormonal states influence how strongly drug related

A research group from the TRR has published the central paper of subproject A08 in the journal Addiction Biology . The study was conducted under the supervision of Bernd Lenz, with Rafat Boroumand Jazi as first author. The researchers investigated how hormonal processes are linked to alcohol cues in the brain and whether the medication finasteride influences neural responses to alcohol related stimuli. In a randomized, placebo controlled crossover study involving men with epi

As we start the new year, we would like to wish all TRR265 members and partners a happy and healthy new year. For many, the holidays are a special time of rest, togetherness, and reflection. At the same time, they can also be challenging, especially in the context of addiction and addictive behaviors. We therefore hope that everyone has had a good break, found time to recharge their batteries, and can now start the new year with confidence and positive resolutions. For 2026,

Award for research on hormonal influences on alcohol consumption TRR265 researcher Sabine Hoffmann (Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim) and Prof. Dr. Markus Reichert (Paris Lodron University of Salzburg, visiting scientist at CIMH) have been awarded the Wilhelm Feuerlein Research Award 2025 in the category of basic research.The award was presented on 23 September 2025 during the German Addiction Congress in Berlin. In their study, conducted within the framework of t

The AMBOSS podcast episode “Drugs and Addiction: New Research, New Medications” , featuring Prof. Dr. Rainer Spanagel and Prof. Dr. Max...

Prof. Dr Dr Patrick Bach, head of the Neuroenhancement working group at the Central Institute of Mental Health (ZI) and scientist at...

For the second time, the annual TRR265 retreat took place in the historic city of Weimar - an inspiring place for intensive scientific...

Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin cordially invites you to the advisory board meeting of the Collaborative Research Centre TRR265:...

Alcohol consumption is a socially relevant topic that is often underestimated - especially when it comes to women. The new book "Women...

Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is a major public health concern, yet its neural underpinnings remain incompletely understood. In a new...

The COVID-19 pandemic had profound effects on healthcare systems, particularly for vulnerable populations such as individuals with severe...

Alcohol is deeply rooted in our society - be it at celebrations, as a stimulant or simply for relaxation. But how dangerous is our use of...

A report by the German broadcaster rbb focuses on the trend towards so-called DripBars. These are facilities that offer intravenous...

After intense holidays, the question often arises: Can exercise help to banish the hangover? Research findings and expert opinions offer...