Nicotine is shrouded in controversy. Dr. Neil Grunberg has published >180 papers addressing behavioral medicine, stress, and leadership. Dr. Grunberg has received awards from the U.S. Surgeon General, CDC, FDA, American Psychological Association, NIH, Society of Behavioral Medicine, and USU. He has served as President of the USU Faculty Senate and has chaired many USU committees. In this fascinating conversation, Dr. Grunberg and I chat about the neurobiology of addiction, the potential for nicotine in pharmaceutical drugs, what nicotine does to your brain, and Dr. Grunberg's thoughts on the growing psychedelics movement.

Who is Dr. Neil Grunberg? 

Neil E. Grunberg, Ph.D., is Professor of Military & Emergency Medicine (MEM), Medical & Clinical Psychology (MPS), and Neuroscience (NES) in the Uniformed Services University (USU) School of Medicine (SOM); Professor in the Graduate School of Nursing (GSN); Director of Research and Development in the USU Leadership Education and Development (LEAD) program; and Director of Faculty Development for MEM. He is a medical and social psychologist who has been on faculty at USU since 1979.  His role in LEAD is to ensure that the LEAD program and sessions are based upon sound evidence and scholarship and to oversee original research relevant to leadership education and training.

Dr. Grunberg earned baccalaureate degrees in Medical Microbiology and Psychology from Stanford University (1975); earned M.A. (1977), M.Phil. (1979), and Ph.D. (1980) degrees in Physiological and Social Psychology from Columbia University; and received doctoral training in Pharmacology at Columbia University’s College of Physicians & Surgeons under a National Research Service Award (NRSA, 1976-79). Dr. Grunberg helps train physicians, psychologists, and nurses to serve in the Armed Forces or Public Health Service, and scientists for research positions. He has published >180 papers addressing behavioral medicine, stress, and leadership. Dr. Grunberg has received awards from the U.S. Surgeon General, CDC, FDA, American Psychological Association, NIH, Society of Behavioral Medicine, and USU. He has served as President of the USU Faculty Senate and has chaired many USU committees.

Dr. Grunberg is a fellow of the American Psychological Association, Academy of Behavioral Medicine Research, and Society for Behavioral Medicine. He is a founding member of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco, and a member of the Association for Psychological Science, the Society for Neuroscience, Sigma Xi, and the Academy of Medicine of Washington, D.C. He has been an editor for Addiction, Annals of Behavioral Medicine, Nicotine and Tobacco Research, and US Surgeon Generals' Reports. He serves as a scientific consultant to the Maryland Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Resource Center, the Maryland Smoking Cessation Quitline (MD Quit), and the Maryland State Mental Health and Substance Abuse treatment programs. He is a member of the Society of Behavioral Medicine's Wisdom Council, the editorial board of Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior, and a contributing reviewer to F1000 (an electronic biomedical research journal source).

Highlights

[5:01] What was Dr. Grunberg's first interest to study?

[9:00] Nicotine dosing and addiction

[16:50] Neurobiology of addiction

[22:48] The effect of different delivery mechanisms

[35:45] Are there benefits to nicotine?

[46:07] Are lower doses addictive?

[53:41] Who should avoid nicotine?

[1:02:20] What does Dr. Grunberg think of the resurgence of psychedelics?

Resources

Stanley Schachter

1988 Nicotine report

Nicotine Dependence by Dr. Rachel Tyndale

Yerkes Dodson function

Zen in the Art of Archery

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Continue Your High Performance Journey with Dr. Neil Grunberg

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