The collaboration pairs the nation’s largest addiction research center with Partnership to End Addiction to speed the translation of science into support for families.

NEW YORK, NY – Sept. 16, 2026 – The Rutgers Addiction Research Center, part of the Rutgers Brain Health Institute, is joining forces with Partnership to End Addiction, a national nonprofit dedicated to preventing and addressing substance use disorders.

The partnership brings together two organizations addressing addiction from complementary angles: the center’s translational research spanning basic science, prevention, treatment, recovery and policy, and the nonprofit organization’s work with parents, communities and professionals. Members from both groups aim to close what researchers call a 17-year gap between scientific discovery and real-world application. “Getting closer to the science helps us shape our thinking,” said Creighton Drury, chief executive and president of Partnership to End Addiction and a Rutgers alumnus. “It helps us support families and share knowledge with professionals, teachers and policymakers who can put it to use. As we push for broader change, the research shows us where we need to go and lets us give feedback to researchers on where new research is needed.”

“The Rutgers Addiction Research Center brings together researchers working across the full spectrum of addiction science, but discovery alone is not enough,” said Danielle M. Dick, director of the nation’s largest addiction research center, with more than 120 affiliated researchers. “Research has the greatest impact when it reaches families, professionals, and communities in ways they can understand and use. This partnership creates an important two-way bridge – helping us move emerging science into the real world while also learning directly from the people Partnership to End Addiction serves about the challenges they are facing and the questions that research still needs to answer.”

Members from both organizations said the timing reflects a shared commitment. Partnership to End Addiction continues to expand its work, grounding family support, professional training and community partners in the latest science. Meanwhile, the center is entering its fifth year and initiating a new strategic plan with an emphasis on translating research into real-world impact. Staff from both organizations said they expect to explore together include:

• Sharing and amplifying emerging research as it’s published, translating findings into resources for families, professionals and communities via social media and other public channels
• Pursuing joint research projects informed by real-world needs identified through Partnership to End Addiction’s work with families
• Creating training and internship pipelines, with students and staff rotating between the two organizations
• Developing co-branded public-facing content, including educational sessions led by experts from both organizations
• For Partnership to End Addiction, the collaboration deepens its long-standing commitment to grounding its work in the best available evidence, ensuring families, professionals, and communities benefit from scientific advances faster

For families navigating substance use – whether worried about a child, supporting a loved one in recovery, or trying to understand risk – this partnership means the guidance they receive will be even more closely tied to the latest science, translated into practical, usable information.

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About Rutgers Addiction Research Center

The Rutgers Addiction Research Center, part of the Rutgers Brain Health Institute, brings together researchers, clinicians and community partners working across the full spectrum of addiction science. The center supports interdisciplinary research spanning basic science, prevention, treatment, recovery and policy, with a focus on translating scientific discovery into meaningful improvements in the prevention and treatment of substance use disorders. Learn more at addiction.rutgers.edu.

About Partnership to End Addiction

Partnership to End Addiction is a national nonprofit that improves outcomes for adolescents and young adults by empowering those who support them. We provide families with free digital coaching, train professionals in evidence-based approaches and equip communities with resources. With decades of expertise, the Partnership addresses addiction at every level – from helping individual families support a loved one to paving the way for system-wide change. Learn more at drugfree.org.

Media Contact

Andrea Roley, Chief Communications Officer,
aroley@toendaddiction.org
Media@toendaddiction.org

Ricki Arvesen, Communications Specialist, Rutgers Addiction Research Center,
Rickiarvesen@rutgers.edu