Justin Anker
,

Credentials

PhD

Assistant Professor

Biography

Bio

I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences committed to advancing the understanding of substance abuse and its treatment through research. My primary research focus is on examining the relationship between stress and substance use disorders (SUDs). Through my studies, I have identified biological and behavioral determinants that heighten vulnerability to SUDs. This includes conducting a series of preclinical studies that deepened our understanding of how age, sex, hormonal fluctuations, genetic predispositions, and impulsivity impact drug use. A significant portion of my research is dedicated to developing and evaluating innovative treatments for drug abuse, particularly those targeting stress-related factors. My early efforts in this domain led to the discovery of allopregnanolone, a progesterone metabolite, as a promising candidate for reducing stress-induced drug-taking. My current work focuses on assessing and implementing digital therapeutics designed to improve coping strategies for individuals dealing with stress-related substance use. My research is supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and has resulted in over 50 peer-reviewed publications.

I have presented at over 80 conferences both nationally and internationally.

Expertise

Comorbid substance use
Anxiety-related disorders

Administrative Assistant

(for academic support only)
Natasha Hampton-Anderson
nhampton@umn.edu

In the Media

2023: Featured in this Minnesota Daily article titled, “UMN study identifies primary predictors of lawyer suicide ideation.”
2022: Received a mention in StreetInsider.com for a study he co-led in an article titled, "California Lawyers Association and D.C. Bar Announce More Findings from Groundbreaking Study on Attorney Mental Health and Well-Being".
2022: Co-led the research team cited in this Global Legal Post article: "Undervalued lawyers more likely to suffer well-being issues, study finds".
2021: Featured in this American Bar Association Journal piece titled, "More female than male lawyers are engaging in risky drinking, new study finds".

Research Summary

Comorbidity; Alcohol Use Disorder; Anxiety Disorders; Drinking to Cope; Drinking Motives; Network Analysis

Education

BA, University of Minnesota

PhD, University of Minnesota

Undergrad, College of Menominee Nation

Major: Undeclared

Fellowships, Residencies, and Visiting Engagements

NIDA T32 Postdoctoral Research Fellow,

University of Minnesota, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences

Honors and Recognition

BB&C: Translational Research in Addiction Travel Award

Outstanding poster presentation award, BB&C

College of Problems of Drug Dependence Early Career Investigator Award

College of Liberal Arts Student Travel and Research Award

Behavior, Biology, and Chemistry (BB&C): Translational Research in Addiction Travel Award

Society of Biological Psychiatry's Travel Fellowship

College of Liberal Arts Dean's List (multiple), University of Minnesota Medical School

The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Graduate Student Travel Award

National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) Director's Travel Award

David Campbell Graduate Research Fellowship

Committee on Animal Research and Ethics (CARE) Imprinting-Interdivisional Mentoring Fellowship Award

Woman and Gender Junior Investigator Travel Award (multiple)

NIDA Early Career Investigator Travel Award

Gough Travel Award

Hazelden-Betty Ford Adjunct Faculty of Excellence Award

CARE Imprinting-Interdivisional Mentoring Fellowship Award

Drug and Alcohol Dependence ranked top 4% of all reviewers

International Study Group Investigating Drugs as Reinforcers Travel Award

Psychiatric Research Society Travel Award

Dean's List, College of Menominee (CMN)

Professional Memberships

International Study Group Investigating Drugs as Reinforcers

APA Division 28: Psychopharmacology & Substance Abuse

American Psychological Association

American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics

Minnesota Academy of Science

European Behavioral Pharmacology Society

Research Society on Alcoholism

Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies

Society for Psychophysiological Research

Selected Publications

Anker, J. (Lead Author) et al., 2023. Evidence for an alcohol-related "harm paradox" in individuals with internalizing disorders: Test and replication in two independent community samples.. Alcoholism, Clinical and Experimental Research, 47 (4): 713-723.

doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/acer.15036 PubMed ID: 37115410.

Anker, J. (Corresponding author) et al., 2023. Stressed, Lonely, and Overcommitted: Predictors of Lawyer Suicide Risk. Healthcare, 11 (4): 536.

doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11040536 PubMed ID: 36833071.

Stevenson, B. L., Anker, J., Thuras, P., Rinehart, L., & Kushner, M. G., 2022. World Health Organization (WHO) Risk Level Reductions in Inpatients with Alcohol Use Disorder and Comorbid Anxiety Disorders.. American Psychological Association,

doi: https://doi.org/10.1037/adb0000895 PubMed ID: 36480397.

Anker, J. (corresponding author), et al., 2022. The direct effect of drinking to cope on alcohol problems is not mediated by alcohol consumption: Invariance across gender and countries. Addictive Behaviors Reports, 16

doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.abrep.2022.100469 PubMed ID: 36388406.

Anker, J. (corresponding author) et al., 2022. People, Professionals, and Profit Centers: The Connection between Lawyer Well-Being and Employer Values. Behavioral Sciences, 12 (6): 177.

doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/bs12060177 PubMed ID: 36833071.

Shuai, R., Anker, J. J., Bravo, A. J., Kushner, M. G., Hogarth, L., 2022. Risk Pathways Contributing to the Alcohol Harm Paradox: Socioeconomic Deprivation Confers Susceptibility to Alcohol Dependence via Greater Exposure to Aversive Experience, Internalizing Symptoms and Drinking to Cope. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 16 821693.

doi: https://doi.org/10.3389/fnbeh.2022.821693 PubMed ID: 35237137.

Anker, J. J., Nakajima, M., Raatz, S., Allen, S., al'Absi, M., 2021. Tobacco withdrawal increases junk food intake: The role of the endogenous opioid system. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 225 108819.

doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2021.108819 PubMed ID: 34182373.

Anker, J. J., Kushner, M. G., 2019. Co-Occurring Alcohol Use Disorder and Anxiety: Bridging Psychiatric, Psychological, and Neurobiological Perspectives. Alcohol Research: Current Reviews, 40 (1):

doi: https://doi.org/10.35946/arcr.v40.1.03 PubMed ID: 31886106.

Kummerfeld, E., Rix, A., Anker, J. J., Kushner, M. G., 2019. Assessing the collective utility of multiple analyses on clinical alcohol use disorder data. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 26 (10): 1046-1055.

doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/jamia/ocz034 PubMed ID: 30990526.

Kummerfeld, E., Rix, A., Anker, J. J., Kushner, M. G., 2018. Causal Network Modeling of the Determinants of Drinking Behavior in Comorbid Alcohol Use and Anxiety Disorder. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 43 (1): 91-97.

doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/acer.13914 PubMed ID: 30371947.

Contact

Address

Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, F282/2A West Building, 2450 Riverside Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55454

Justin Anker , Credentials PhD

Bio