Daniel J. O. Roche

Dr. Daniel J. O. Roche is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and a member of the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center. He earned a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Connecticut (2003), a Ph.D. in Neurobiology from the University of Chicago (2012), and completed postdoctoral training at UCLA under Dr. Lara Ray. Prior to his current role, he served as a Research Scientist and Lecturer at UCLA and as an Adjunct Assistant Professor in Psychiatry.

• B.A. Psychology, University of Connecticut (2003)
• Ph.D. Neurobiology, University of Chicago (2012)
• Postdoc, UCLA (2012-2018)

Dr. Roche’s research focuses on human laboratory models of addiction, behavioral pharmacology, and medication development for substance use disorders. His work integrates neuroimaging, neurocognitive testing, and clinical trial designs to identify mechanisms underlying addiction and test novel treatments. He has published extensively on topics including naltrexone’s effects on alcohol and methamphetamine response, pharmacogenetics, and co-use patterns of multiple substances.

Key trends in his publications include pharmacological interventions for addiction, translational research bridging behavioral pharmacology and clinical trials, and investigations into sex differences, genetic factors, and neuroimmune mechanisms. His lab at the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center (website: https://www.mprc.umaryland.edu/addiction) specializes in experimental paradigms to model craving, withdrawal, and treatment efficacy.