Warren K. Bickel

Warren K. Bickel, Ph.D., was a Virginia Tech Carilion Behavioral Health Research Professor and Founding Director of the Addiction Recovery Research Center and the Center for Health Behaviors Research at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC. His work focused on understanding and treating addiction through decision-making research, emphasizing how individuals prioritize immediate rewards over long-term health. He held academic roles in the Department of Psychology (College of Science) and Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine (VTC School of Medicine).

Education:

• Ph.D., Developmental and Child Psychology, University of Kansas
• M.A., Developmental and Child Psychology, University of Kansas
• B.A., Psychology, University of New York New Paltz

Research Interests: Dr. Bickel pioneered studies on impulsivity in addiction, policy impacts on tobacco use, and interventions for alcohol and substance use disorders. His work combined neuroscience, behavioral economics, and public health policy to address decision-making dysfunctions. He led initiatives like the International Quit & Recovery Registry and experimental tobacco marketplaces to model policy effects.

Key Contributions: His research advanced treatments for addiction by linking time perspective interventions (e.g., episodic future thinking) to reduced relapse rates. He emphasized health equity in policy design, particularly regarding tobacco taxes and socioeconomic disparities.

Awards: Recipient of the Nathan B. Eddy Award (2016), Fellow of the Academy of Behavioral Medicine Research (2014), and a Highly Cited Researcher (Clarivate, 2021).

Labs & Teams: Directed the Bickel Lab and co-founded the Addiction Recovery Research Center. His mentorship supported 14 doctoral students and 30 postdoctoral researchers, fostering a legacy in addiction science.