Addictive disorders, such as alcohol use disorder, nicotine dependence, illicit drug addiction and pathological gambling, are among the most widespread psychiatric disorders in Canada and around the world. Approximately one in five Canadians experience addiction over their lifetime. Addictive disorders commonly co-occur with other psychiatric disorders, such as mood disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder, and are major contributors to cardiovascular disease, cancer, sexually transmitted diseases and accidental injury and death. In economic terms, addiction has an estimated annual burden of $40 billion. In human terms, the toll addiction takes on those who are afflicted and their loved ones is incalculable.

The Peter Boris Center for Addictions Research is a joint collaboration between McMaster University and St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton to advance the scientific understanding of addiction. Located at the St. Joseph’s West 5th campus, the state-of-the-art Juravinski Centre for Integrated Healthcare, the centre serves as a nexus for faculty in McMaster’s Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neurosciences and collaborators at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton and Homewood Health Centre. Although the interests in the centre are diverse, our collective goal is to conduct innovative empirical research that pushes the boundaries of new knowledge and bridges the gap between science and practice.