Everyday Rewards and the Science of Addiction - SOLD OUT

What if addiction isn’t just about substances - but about the rewards that compete with them?

Join Dr. Keanan Joyner, UC Berkeley Assistant Professor of Psychology and director of the C.R.E.A.M. Lab, for a fresh look at how addiction develops and persists.

While most addiction research focuses on what drugs do to the brain and body, Dr. Joyner’s work highlights something equally important: everyday sources of reward like social connection, purpose, achievement, and pleasure. Drawing on psychological data and human neuroscience - often focusing on alcohol addiction - he’ll explore how the balance between these everyday rewards and substance use shapes vulnerability, recovery, and long-term outcomes.

This perspective shifts how we understand addiction - and why rebuilding healthy sources of reward is key to lasting change.