About Nora
Dr. Nora Volkow is a world-renowned physician and scientist who currently serves as the Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). NIDA is the largest funder of scientific research on the health aspects of drug use and addiction globally. Born in Mexico City, Nora trained as a psychiatrist and became a pioneer in using brain imaging technology to study how substance use affects the human brain. Her groundbreaking research provided concrete proof that addiction is a disease of the brain, not simply a moral failure or a lack of willpower. She showed that chronic drug use physically damages the brain’s dopamine system, which controls reward, motivation, and self-control. Her findings have been instrumental in transforming how addiction is understood and treated by scientists and the public, emphasizing the need for prevention and medical treatment rather than judgment or punishment. Beyond addiction, Nora has made important contributions to the neurobiology of other conditions that involve reward and self-control, such as obesity, ADHD, and aging. Through her leadership, she continues to advocate for science-based drug policy and the integration of addiction treatment into mainstream healthcare.
