Center Leadership
Howard Becker, Ph.D., Center Director and Director of the Administrative Core
Dr. Becker is a professor in the Psychiatry and Neuroscience at MUSC, and senior research career scientist in the Department of Veterans Affairs. He also serves as scientific director of the NIAAA-supported multi-site Integrative Neuroscience Initiative on Alcoholism – Stress (INIAstress) Consortium, which is focused on elucidating mechanisms underlying alcohol-stress interactions. He has over a 30-year history of research, leadership, and service to the alcohol field. He is nationally and internationally recognized for his research contributions in the area of animal models of alcohol dependence and relapse behavior, mechanisms underlying excessive drinking, and research devoted to discovery and evaluation of potential new therapeutics for the treatment of AUD. Dr. Becker’s research accomplishments and national reputation, coupled with his demonstrated leadership skills, broad knowledge of preclinical-clinical translational issues in the alcohol field, and his continued devotion to the overall mission and vision of the Center, make him ideally suited to serve as director of the Charleston ARC.
Raymond Anton, M.D., Co-Scientific Director
Dr. Anton is a biological psychiatrist and Distinguished University Professor who has worked in the area of alcohol research for over 30 years. He is a nationally and internationally recognized expert in pharmacotherapies for AUD. He was a pioneer in correlating biological markers for drinking (e.g., CDT) with self- and collateral reports, and he has adopted/developed clinical laboratory procedures that incorporate sophisticated neuroimaging approaches and pharmacogenetic analyses that enable more refined evaluation of therapeutics. He has maintained a consistent record of active funding from NIAAA, and he has worked with the pharmaceutical industry in conducting various clinical trials focused on treatment for AUD. Dr. Anton has the academic credentials, leadership experience, and scientific reputation in the alcohol research field to continue in the role of Scientific Director for the Charleston ARC.
John Woodward, Ph.D., Co-Scientific Director
Dr. Woodward is a professor of Neuroscience and Psychiatry at MUSC. He is highly regarded as a leader in the alcohol field, having over 30-years of experience in conducting molecular, neurophysiological, neurochemical, and behavioral studies on mechanisms of alcohol’s actions. Dr. Woodward has a broad perspective on the value of translational approaches to research in the field, having served as director of the ARC Pilot Project Core for the past 10 years and director of the NIAAA-funded Institutional (T32) Training grant since 2003. His long- standing research and administrative contributions to the ARC make him well suited to fulfill this role along with Dr. Anton. Further, Drs. Becker, Anton, and Woodward have a long history of working together on numerous collaborative research projects as well as providing scientific oversight and management of Center activities. Together they make an exceptionally well-qualified team to lead the scientific efforts in the Charleston ARC.
Patrick Mulholland, Ph.D., Pilot Core Director
Dr. Mulholland is professor of Neuroscience and Psychiatry at MUSC and a basic science alcohol researcher with expertise in neurobiological mechanisms of chronic alcohol actions on the structure and function of brain neurons and circuitry. His research employs numerous cutting-edge technologies that provide new insights about neuroadaptations resulting from chronic alcohol exposure.
Sudie Back, Ph.D., Pilot Core Director
Dr. Back is a professor of Psychiatry at MUSC and a staff psychologist at the Ralph H. Johnson Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center in Charleston, SC. She brings expertise in the treatment of alcohol use disorder (AUD) and co-occurring psychiatric conditions, and her research includes behavioral and pharmacological treatments for AUD, as well as the application of laboratory paradigms and neuroimaging methodologies. Their distinct, yet complementary academic backgrounds and research experience make this an outstanding team to lead the ARC Pilot Core is attaining its important aims and goals.
