About the Basis

The Brief Addiction Science Information Source (BASIS)

Mission. The mission of the BASIS is to strengthen worldwide understanding of addiction and minimize its harmful effects. To work toward this goal, the BASIS provides a forum for the free exchange of information related to addiction, and public access to the latest scientific developments and resources in the field.

Origins. The Division on Addictions (DOA) at the Cambridge Health Alliance, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School is one of the country’s premier centers for the study of addictive behavior. Our mission is to strengthen worldwide understanding of addiction through innovative research, education and information exchange. In the spirit of our mission, the Division has created the BASIS, a virtual institute to advance addiction science, and addiction-related education and clinical services.

Description. In anticipation of the 10th anniversary of The Worldwide Addiction Gambling Education Report (The WAGER), the DOA began a development project that would expand both the types of free science reviews available to the general public and organize other important addiction services within a single web portal. Thus, in addition to the The WAGER, the BASIS offers four new weekly science reviews. The Drinking Report for Addiction Medicine (DRAM) and Addiction Smoking Health Education Service (ASHES) address issues related to alcohol and tobacco use and abuse respectively. STASH addresses substance use and abuse. In addition, a humanities review called Addiction and the Humanities discusses literature, art, music, and contemporary culture as these relate to addiction. Furthermore, the BASIS will provide access to innovative addiction self-help tools and addiction resources.

Rationale. Too often clinical resources are accessible only to academics or are available at such high prices that they are unaffordable to individuals in-need. Our primary goal is to provide the general public, treatment providers, policy makers, and other interested individuals with free direct access to the latest scientific information and resources on addiction. It is our hope that readers will use the BASIS to better their lives and the lives of others.

The Basis Staff

Research, Writing, and Resources

• Howard Shaffer, Ph.D., C.A.S., Editor-in-Chief
• Debi LaPlante, Ph.D., Senior Editor, BASIS
• Richard LaBrie, Ed.D.
• Leslie Bosworth
• Sarah Nelson, Ph.D., Editor, The WAGER
• Anja Schumann, Ph.D.
• Allyson Peller, M.P.H.,Editor, STASH
• John H. Kleschinsky, M.P.H., Editor ASHES
• Ingrid Maurice
• Sara Kaplan

Web and Technology

• Gabriel Caro

Administration and Development

• Melissa Marcarelli
• Chris Reilly
• Chrissy Thurmond
• Jenna Tonet

The Basis Editorial Board

Mark J. Albanese, M.D.
Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry
Harvard Medical School
Medical Director, Addictions
Cambridge Health Alliance

Hamilton Beazley, Ph.D., M.B.A.
Scholar-in-Residence
St. Edward's University

Bo J. Bernhard, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Departments of Sociology and Hotel Management
Director of Gambling Research, International Gaming Institute
University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Thomas H. Brandon, Ph.D.
Director, Tobacco Research and Intervention Program
H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute
Professor, Department of Psychology and Department of Interdisciplinary Oncology
University of South Florida

Kah Sin Cho, M.A., C.A.S.
Regional Coordinator, Country and Regional Support Department
Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)

Nancy Costikyan, M.S.W., L.I.C.S.W., C.A.S.
Lecturer on Psychiatry
Harvard Medical School

Linda B. Cottler, Ph.D.
Professor of Epidemiology in Psychiatry
Department of Psychiatry
Washington University School of Medicine

Renee M. Cunningham-Williams, Ph.D., M.P.E., L.C.S.W.
Visiting Associate Professor
George Warren Brown School of Social Work
Washington University

Thomas F. DeFrantz, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Music and Theater Arts
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Valerie DeMarinis, Ph.D.
Consultant in Trans-cultural Psychiatry
Uppsala University

Jeffrey L. Derevensky, Ph.D.
Professor, School of Applied Child Psychology
Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology
Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry
McGill University

Mark G. Dickerson, Ph.D.
Professor, School of Psychology
University of Western Sydney

Lance M. Dodes, M.D.
Training and Supervising Analyst
Boston Psychoanalytic Society and Institute
Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry
Harvard Medical School

William R. Eadington, Ph.D.
Professor of Economics
Director, Institute for the Study of Gambling and Commercial Gaming
University of Nevada, Reno

Edward J. Federman, Ph.D.
Instructor of Psychiatry
Boston University School of Medicine

Anne Fletcher, M.S., R.D.
Author

Dean Hestermann
Director, Public Affairs
Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc.

Durand F. Jacobs, Ph.D. , A.B.P.P.
Clinical Professor of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Loma Linda University Medical School

Janice F. Kauffman R.N., M.P.H., C.A.S
Director, Substance Abuse treatment Services
North Charles Foundation, Inc.
Director Addiction Psychiatry Service
Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School

Sean Kernan
Photographer
Sean Kernan Studios

Ed Khantzian, M.D.
Clinical Professor of Psychiatry
Harvard Medical School

David A. Korn, M.D., C.A.S.
Principal, DAK Strategies
Toronto, Canada

Robert Ladouceur, Ph.D.
Professor of Psychology
Laval University

Henry R. Lesieur, Ph.D.
Department of Psychiatry
Rhode Island Hospital

Michael Levy, Ph.D.
Lecturer on Psychiatry
Harvard Medical School
Director of Clinical Treatment Services
CAB Health & Recovery Services, Inc.

Cheryl A. Lewin, M.A., C.A.D.C.
President, Gaming Solutions & Associates

G. Alan Marlatt, Ph.D.
Professor of Psychology
Director, Addictive Behaviors Research Center
University of Washington

Lisa M. Najavits, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Psychology, Department of Psychiatry
Harvard Medical School
Director, Trauma Research Program
Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment Center
McLean Hospital

Peter E. Nathan, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Community and Behavioral Health
College of Public Health
University of Iowa

Judy L. Patterson, J.D., M.A.
Senior Vice President and Executive Director
American Gaming Association

Nancy Petry, Ph.D.
Professor of Psychiatry
University of Connecticut School of Medicine

Marc N. Potenza, M.D., Ph.D.
Director, Problem Gambling Clinic
Assistant Professor, Division of Substance Abuse
Department of Psychiatry
Yale University

James O. Prochaska, Ph.D.
Director, Cancer Prevention Research Consortium
Professor of Clinical and Health Psychology
University of Rhode Island

I. Nelson Rose, J.D.
Professor, Whittier Law School

Loreen Rugle, Ph.D.
Clinical Director, Custer Gambling Treatment Program

Kathleen M. Scanlan, M.A.
Executive Director, Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling

Harvey A. Skinner, Ph.D., C.Psych
Professor and Chair, Department of Public Health Sciences
University of Toronto

Peter N. Stearns, Ph.D.
Provost, George Mason University

Elissa R. Weitzman, Sc.D., M.Sc.
Research Scientist, Department of Society, Human Development & Health
Harvard School of Public Health

Charles F. Wellford, Ph.D.
Director, Maryland Justice Analysis Center Professor and Chairperson
Professor, Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice
University of Maryland, College Park

Ken C. Winters, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Psychiatry
University of Minnesota

Harold J. Wynne, Ph.D.
Wynne Resources

Research, Writing, and Resources

• Howard Shaffer, Ph.D., C.A.S., Editor-in-Chief
• Debi LaPlante, Ph.D., Senior Editor, BASIS
• Richard LaBrie, Ed.D.
• Leslie Bosworth
• Sarah Nelson, Ph.D., Editor, The WAGER
• Anja Schumann, Ph.D.
• Allyson Peller, M.P.H.,Editor, STASH
• John H. Kleschinsky, M.P.H., Editor ASHES
• Ingrid Maurice
• Sara Kaplan

Web and Technology

• Gabriel Caro

Administration and Development

• Melissa Marcarelli
• Chris Reilly
• Chrissy Thurmond
• Jenna Tonet

Mark J. Albanese, M.D.
Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry
Harvard Medical School
Medical Director, Addictions
Cambridge Health Alliance

Hamilton Beazley, Ph.D., M.B.A.
Scholar-in-Residence
St. Edward's University

Bo J. Bernhard, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Departments of Sociology and Hotel Management
Director of Gambling Research, International Gaming Institute
University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Thomas H. Brandon, Ph.D.
Director, Tobacco Research and Intervention Program
H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute
Professor, Department of Psychology and Department of Interdisciplinary Oncology
University of South Florida

Kah Sin Cho, M.A., C.A.S.
Regional Coordinator, Country and Regional Support Department
Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)

Nancy Costikyan, M.S.W., L.I.C.S.W., C.A.S.
Lecturer on Psychiatry
Harvard Medical School

Linda B. Cottler, Ph.D.
Professor of Epidemiology in Psychiatry
Department of Psychiatry
Washington University School of Medicine

Renee M. Cunningham-Williams, Ph.D., M.P.E., L.C.S.W.
Visiting Associate Professor
George Warren Brown School of Social Work
Washington University

Thomas F. DeFrantz, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Music and Theater Arts
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Valerie DeMarinis, Ph.D.
Consultant in Trans-cultural Psychiatry
Uppsala University

Jeffrey L. Derevensky, Ph.D.
Professor, School of Applied Child Psychology
Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology
Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry
McGill University

Mark G. Dickerson, Ph.D.
Professor, School of Psychology
University of Western Sydney

Lance M. Dodes, M.D.
Training and Supervising Analyst
Boston Psychoanalytic Society and Institute
Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry
Harvard Medical School

William R. Eadington, Ph.D.
Professor of Economics
Director, Institute for the Study of Gambling and Commercial Gaming
University of Nevada, Reno

Edward J. Federman, Ph.D.
Instructor of Psychiatry
Boston University School of Medicine

Anne Fletcher, M.S., R.D.
Author

Dean Hestermann
Director, Public Affairs
Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc.

Durand F. Jacobs, Ph.D. , A.B.P.P.
Clinical Professor of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Loma Linda University Medical School

Janice F. Kauffman R.N., M.P.H., C.A.S
Director, Substance Abuse treatment Services
North Charles Foundation, Inc.
Director Addiction Psychiatry Service
Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School

Sean Kernan
Photographer
Sean Kernan Studios

Ed Khantzian, M.D.
Clinical Professor of Psychiatry
Harvard Medical School

David A. Korn, M.D., C.A.S.
Principal, DAK Strategies
Toronto, Canada

Robert Ladouceur, Ph.D.
Professor of Psychology
Laval University

Henry R. Lesieur, Ph.D.
Department of Psychiatry
Rhode Island Hospital

Michael Levy, Ph.D.
Lecturer on Psychiatry
Harvard Medical School
Director of Clinical Treatment Services
CAB Health & Recovery Services, Inc.

Cheryl A. Lewin, M.A., C.A.D.C.
President, Gaming Solutions & Associates

G. Alan Marlatt, Ph.D.
Professor of Psychology
Director, Addictive Behaviors Research Center
University of Washington

Lisa M. Najavits, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Psychology, Department of Psychiatry
Harvard Medical School
Director, Trauma Research Program
Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment Center
McLean Hospital

Peter E. Nathan, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Community and Behavioral Health
College of Public Health
University of Iowa

Judy L. Patterson, J.D., M.A.
Senior Vice President and Executive Director
American Gaming Association

Nancy Petry, Ph.D.
Professor of Psychiatry
University of Connecticut School of Medicine

Marc N. Potenza, M.D., Ph.D.
Director, Problem Gambling Clinic
Assistant Professor, Division of Substance Abuse
Department of Psychiatry
Yale University

James O. Prochaska, Ph.D.
Director, Cancer Prevention Research Consortium
Professor of Clinical and Health Psychology
University of Rhode Island

I. Nelson Rose, J.D.
Professor, Whittier Law School

Loreen Rugle, Ph.D.
Clinical Director, Custer Gambling Treatment Program

Kathleen M. Scanlan, M.A.
Executive Director, Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling

Harvey A. Skinner, Ph.D., C.Psych
Professor and Chair, Department of Public Health Sciences
University of Toronto

Peter N. Stearns, Ph.D.
Provost, George Mason University

Elissa R. Weitzman, Sc.D., M.Sc.
Research Scientist, Department of Society, Human Development & Health
Harvard School of Public Health

Charles F. Wellford, Ph.D.
Director, Maryland Justice Analysis Center Professor and Chairperson
Professor, Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice
University of Maryland, College Park

Ken C. Winters, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Psychiatry
University of Minnesota

Harold J. Wynne, Ph.D.
Wynne Resources