Natalie McClain

Check out our new preprint documenting how Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement rebalances neural responses to drug and natural reward cues in opioid use disorder! With @Yuefeng_Huang, @bic_ismms, @DrEricGarland et al @SinaiBrain @MountSinaiPsych medrxiv.org/content/10.648…

The time is finally here. Come join us tomorrow morning (9–11 AM) at Imperial Ballroom D for our panel on sex differences and hormonal effects in reward, decision-making, and addiction! #ACNP2026 @bic_ismms @ACNPorg @MountSinaiPsych @SinaiBrain

Objective estimates of drug-biased behavior outperform subjective measures of drug use severity in predicting addiction treatment outcomes?! Read more about it in our new paper fresh out of @BiologicalPsyc1 GOS with @natalimcclain @bic_ismms et al! sciencedirect.com/science/articl…

Also check out the fancy artwork c/o co-author @natalimcclain!

Can a movie reveal the brain’s hidden vulnerabilities in addiction? A new study led by Rita Goldstein, PhD, at Mount Sinai, used the opening scenes of Trainspotting—an Academy Award-nominated film on heroin addiction—to assess brain responses in individuals with heroin use disorder. Unlike previous neuroimaging studies that used static images, this dynamic narrative activated brain circuits in ways that more closely mirror real-world addiction experiences. The results were striking: specific brain regions, including the orbitofrontal cortex, showed a drug-biased response prior to treatment. After three months of abstinence and therapy, these responses were significantly reduced, indicating recovery from craving and maladaptive brain activity. This first-of-its-kind study offers a new, ecologically valid model for assessing and treating addiction, with potential applications in depression, PTSD, and other psychiatric conditions. Learn more about the science behind using film as a clinical research tool: mshs.co/3IUCX94

Excited to share our new paper in @PNASNews! Combining methylphenidate with memory updating (retrieval–extinction) normalized ventromedial prefrontal cortex function in people with cocaine addiction. pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pn…

Thrilled our panel was accepted for #ACNP2026 @ACNPorg 🎉 Excited to join the whole group @bic_ismms & @_AnnaKonova_ & @TheErinCalipari & Dr. Nicola Grissom for what’s sure to be a fantastic panel! @MountSinaiPsych

Excited to share our new paper with @bic_ismms in @BiologicalPsyc1 doi.org/10.1016/j.biop… We examined sex and hormonal effects on drug cue reactivity and its regulation via reappraisal and savoring in cocaine/heroin addiction. 50 days of free access here: authors.elsevier.com/a/1lW4J1S07xxwy

A colossal effort from the NARC lab: we reviewed the recent advances in drug addiction research from the lens of the impaired response inhibition and salience attribution model. A one stop shop for theory, severity, recovery, and novel directions. osf.io/preprints/psya…

@bic_ismms @BiologicalPsyc1 huge shoutout to co-authors Eduardo R Butelman, @aoceceli, @greg_kronberg, @sgilbertking, @natalimcclain, Yui Ying Wong, Maggie Boros, K Rachel Drury, @drrajitastress, and @NellyKlein86025

Had some wonderful conversations about our movie fMRI results at the #FriedmanBrainInstitute Neuroscience retreat! @SinaiBrain @bic_ismms

Very excited to share our preprint! Moving beyond self-report in characterizing drug addiction: Using drug-biased behavior to prospectively inform treatment adherence in opioid use disorder. medrxiv.org/content/10.110…

Check out our new paper in @NatMentHealth documenting inhibitory control prefrontal cortex activity increases following inpatient treatment in people with heroin use disorder! @bic_ismms

Had a wonderful time sharing our work at my first #FriedmanBrainInstitute Neuroscience retreat! @SinaiBrain @bic_ismms @aoceceli

An inspiring week at #SfN2023