The Genetics of Opioid Addiction: What We Know, What We Are Learning

The opioid epidemic is a pressing public health crisis. Opioid overdoses have become the leading cause of accidental death, surpassing automobile accidents. This crisis has only been exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic with overdose deaths spiking up to 25% higher. Genetics is a major contributor to opioid use disorder, and understanding the genes and gene variations involved could reveal critical aspects of the biology of addiction.

Whitehead Institute Member Olivia Corradin and her lab are studying the genetics underlying opioid overdose. In this webinar, she describes the changes they have identified in the brain and how these changes converge on genes critical to the disorder.