Marc A. Schuckit MD

Dr. Schuckit received a B.S. from the University of Wisconsin, an M.D. from Washington University, interned at Cedars Sinai Medical Center, and was a resident in psychiatry at Washington University and UCSD. He was a special advisor to the Commanding Officer of the Naval Health Research Center (1972–1974), and the first Director of the Alcohol and Drug Institute, University of Washington (1975–1978).

He returned to San Diego in 1978 as Director of the Alcohol and Drug Treatment Program, University of California, San Diego, and the VA San Diego Healthcare System, which he directed until July 1, 2009. His research focuses on genetic and environmental influences in alcohol and drug use disorders, comorbid psychiatric conditions in the context of alcohol and drug use, and diagnostic systems related to these conditions.

Dr. Schuckit’s recent projects include increasing the understanding of the biologic underpinnings of the low sensitivity to alcohol through functional brain imaging techniques, and implementing a program to decrease heavy drinking in adolescents by teaching them about genetically influenced characteristics they carry that increase their risks for alcohol-related problems.