Lara Ray

Dr. Lara Ray is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles, where she serves as a faculty member in the College of Life Sciences. She is a leading researcher in clinical neuroscience of addiction, focusing on alcohol use disorder (AUD), behavioral genetics, and pharmacological interventions.

• Research Focus: Neural mechanisms of addiction, sex differences in AUD, neuroimmune signaling, stress reactivity, and co-occurring substance use disorders.
• Awards: Recipient of the Nancy Petry Mid-Career Award for exceptional contributions to addiction research.
• Recent Publications: 15 most recent studies include machine learning for AUD subtyping, neuroimaging of cue reactivity, and pharmacological interventions targeting neuroinflammation.
• Media Engagement: Featured in CNN’s This is Life with Lisa Ling and interviewed by KCRW and ABC 7 on AUD trends and social media addiction parallels.