Researcher profile

Jessica E. Salvatore

I am a Professor in the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Department of Psychiatry where I direct the Genes, Environment, and Neurodevelopment in Addictions program, and serve as affiliate faculty in the Department of Psychology’s Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience area. My background is in developmental psychology and psychiatric and behavioral genetics, and the focus of my program of research is on the transmission and consequences of substance use and substance use disorders in families, and understanding how substance use behaviors affect and are affected by close relationships across the lifespan. I take a genetically informed perspective, with a particular interest in understanding the interplay between the social environment and genetic factors. Our collaborative research team conducts research on: -The intergenerational transmission of alcohol, substance use and psychiatric disorders. -Spousal and partner influences on alcohol and other substance use disorders. -Social genetic effects for substance use and related psychiatric disorders. -The etiology and consequences of midlife drinking.