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It's Genetic: The Risk of Becoming an Addict

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Why are some people more susceptible to addiction than others? How does genetic makeup influence a person’s chances of becoming an addict? This hour, we find out how researchers at Yale University and The Jackson Laboratory are working to better understand the science of addiction. 

Later, we also hear why some Connecticut hospitals are turning to opioid sparing surgery as a way to curb prescription drug addiction and overdose.

GUESTS:

  • Dr. Elissa Chesler - Associate professor at The Jackson Laboratory and principal investigator for the Center for Systems Neurogenetics of Addiction 
  • Dr. Marc Potenza - Professor of Psychiatry, Child Study, and Neuroscience at the Yale School of Medicine and senior scientist at the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse 
  • Dr. Philip Corvo - Chairman of the Department of Surgery and Director of Surgical Critical Care at Saint Mary’s Hospital in Waterbury, Connecticut; founder and president the Connecticut Surgical Quality Collaborative

Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

Chion Wolf contributed to this show.

WNPR’s Opioid Addiction Crisis Reporting Initiative is supported by Hartford HealthCare Behavioral Health Network’s MATCH Program.

Lucy leads Connecticut Public's strategies to deeply connect and build collaborations with community-focused organizations across the state.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

Federal funding is gone.

Congress has eliminated all funding for public media.

That means $2.1 million per year that Connecticut Public relied on to deliver you news, information, and entertainment programs you enjoyed is gone.

The future of public media is in your hands.

All donations are appreciated, but we ask in this moment you consider starting a monthly gift as a Sustainer to help replace what’s been lost.

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