Joseph Schacht, PhD

Professional Titles

• Associate Professor
• Co-Director, Division of Addiction Science, Prevention, and Treatment

Research Interests

I am a clinical psychologist and neuroscientist focused on using neurobiological measures, including functional neuroimaging and pharmacogenetics, to improve treatment for alcohol and substance use disorders. My lab is currently conducting multiple randomized controlled trials of novel medications for the treatment of alcohol, nicotine, and cannabis use disorders, supported by both NIH and industry funding.

Publications

• Prisciandaro JJ, Schacht JP, Prescot AP, Anton RF. Brain glutathione levels and associations with recent drinking in treatment-naïve individuals with alcohol use disorder versus light drinkers. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2025 Jul 1;272:112705. PubMed PMID: 40359607
• O'Malley SS, Miranda R Jr, Book SW, Chun TH, Liss T, Malcolm RJ, Muvvala SB, Padovano HT, Schacht JP, Blackburn B, Diamond I, Ransom J, Ryan ML, Falk DE, Litten RZ. Preliminary effects of oral ANS-6637, an ALDH2 inhibitor, on cue-induced craving, safety and alcohol consumption among adults with alcohol use disorder: a proof-of-concept, randomized, human laboratory trial. Alcohol Alcohol. 2025 Jan 19;60(2). PubMed PMID: 39829301
• Schacht JP, Kubicki M, Anton RF. A randomized trial of the effects of COMT inhibition on subjective response to alcohol: Moderation by baseline COMT activity and mediation of alcohol self-administration. Alcohol Clin Exp Res (Hoboken). 2024 Jan;48(1):178-187. PubMed PMID: 38206282
• Schacht JP, Ray LA, Miranda R Jr, Falk DE, Ryan ML, Sakai JT, Miotto K, Chun T, Scott C, Ransom J, Alsharif N, Ito M, Litten RZ. Effects of a novel GABA-B positive allosteric modulator, ASP8062, on alcohol cue-elicited craving and naturalistic alcohol consumption in a multisite randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Alcohol Clin Exp Res (Hoboken). 2024 Dec;48(12):2352-2363. PubMed PMID: 39623527
• Karoly HC, Kirk-Provencher KT, Schacht JP, Gowin JL. Alcohol and brain structure across the lifespan: A systematic review of large-scale neuroimaging studies. Addict Biol. 2024 Sep;29(9):e13439. PubMed PMID: 39317645
• Terasaki D, Frank JW, Schacht J. Chronic Pain Associated Alcohol Use Disorder among Participants in a Small Clinical Trial. J Addict Med. 2024 Oct 24. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 39446063
• Sangchooli A, Zare-Bidoky M, Fathi Jouzdani A, Schacht J, Bjork JM, Claus ED, Prisciandaro JJ, Wilson SJ, Wüstenberg T, Potvin S, Ahmadi P, Bach P, Baldacchino A, Beck A, Brady KT, Brewer JA, Childress AR, Courtney KE, Ebrahimi M, Filbey FM, Garavan H, Ghahremani DG, Goldstein RZ, Goudriaan AE, Grodin EN, Hanlon CA, Haugg A, Heilig M, Heinz A, Holczer A, Van Holst RJ, Joseph JE, Juliano AC, Kaufman MJ, Kiefer F, Khojasteh Zonoozi A, Kuplicki RT, Leyton M, London ED, Mackey S, McClernon FJ, Mellick WH, Morley K, Noori HR, Oghabian MA, Oliver JA, Owens M, Paulus MP, Perini I, Rafei P, Ray LA, Sinha R, Smolka MN, Soleimani G, Spanagel R, Steele VR, Tapert SF, Vollstädt-Klein S, Wetherill RR, Witkiewitz K, Yuan K, Zhang X, Verdejo-Garcia A, Potenza MN, Janes AC, Kober H, Zilverstand A, Ekhtiari H. Parameter Space and Potential for Biomarker Development in 25 Years of fMRI Drug Cue Reactivity: A Systematic Review. JAMA Psychiatry. 2024 Apr 1;81(4):414-425. PubMed PMID: 38324323
• Schacht JP. Stress, Cues, and Craving: Does the Insula Hold the Key to Understanding Stress-Induced Drinking in Alcohol Use Disorder?. Biol Psychiatry. 2024 Feb 1;95(3):200-201. PubMed PMID: 38143097
• Leggio L, Hendershot CS, Farokhnia M, Fink-Jensen A, Klausen MK, Schacht JP, Simmons WK. GLP-1 receptor agonists are promising but unproven treatments for alcohol and substance use disorders. Nat Med. 2023 Dec;29(12):2993-2995. PubMed PMID: 38001271
• Schacht JP, Yeongbin Im, Hoffman M, Voronin KE, Book SW, Anton RF. Effects of pharmacological and genetic regulation of COMT activity in alcohol use disorder: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial of tolcapone. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2022 Oct;47(11):1953-1960. PubMed PMID: 35523943
• Ekhtiari H, Zare-Bidoky M, Sangchooli A, Janes AC, Kaufman MJ, Oliver JA, Prisciandaro JJ, Wüstenberg T, Anton RF, Bach P, Baldacchino A, Beck A, Bjork JM, Brewer J, Childress AR, Claus ED, Courtney KE, Ebrahimi M, Filbey FM, Ghahremani DG, Azbari PG, Goldstein RZ, Goudriaan AE, Grodin EN, Hamilton JP, Hanlon CA, Hassani-Abharian P, Heinz A, Joseph JE, Kiefer F, Zonoozi AK, Kober H, Kuplicki R, Li Q, London ED, McClernon J, Noori HR, Owens MM, Paulus MP, Perini I, Potenza M, Potvin S, Ray L, Schacht JP, Seo D, Sinha R, Smolka MN, Spanagel R, Steele VR, Stein EA, Steins-Loeber S, Tapert SF, Verdejo-Garcia A, Vollstädt-Klein S, Wetherill RR, Wilson SJ, Witkiewitz K, Yuan K, Zhang X, Zilverstand A. A methodological checklist for fMRI drug cue reactivity studies: development and expert consensus. Nat Protoc. 2022 Mar;17(3):567-595. PubMed PMID: 35121856
• Schacht JP, Hoffman M, Chen BH, Anton RF. Epigenetic moderators of naltrexone efficacy in reducing heavy drinking in Alcohol Use Disorder: a randomized trial. Pharmacogenomics J. 2022 Feb;22(1):1-8. PubMed PMID: 34381173
• Schacht JP, Hoffman M, Chen BH, Anton RF. Epigenetic moderators of naltrexone efficacy in reducing heavy drinking in Alcohol Use Disorder: a randomized trial. Pharmacogenomics J. 2021 Aug 11. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 34381173
• Ellingson, J. M., Hinckley, J. D., Ross, J. M., Schacht, J. P., Bidwell, L. C., Bryan, A. D., Hopfer, C J., Riggs, P., & Hutchison, K. E. (2021). The Neurocognitive Effects of Cannabis Across the Lifespan. Current Behavioral Neuroscience Reports.
• Bartels K, Schacht JP. Cocaine-Positive Patients Undergoing Elective Surgery: From Avoiding Case Cancellations to Treating Substance Use Disorders. Anesth Analg. 2021 Feb 1;132(2):305-307. PubMed PMID: 33449554
• Ellingson JM, Hinckley JD, Ross JM, Schacht JP, Bidwell LC, Bryan AD, Hopfer CJ, Riggs P, Hutchison KE. The Neurocognitive Effects of Cannabis Across the Lifespan. Curr Behav Neurosci Rep. 2021 Dec;8(4):124-133. PubMed PMID: 35979200
• Burnette EM, Grodin EN, Schacht JP, Ray LA. Clinical and Neural Correlates of Reward and Relief Drinking. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2020 Oct 29. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 33119924
• Anton RF, Voronin KE, Book SW, Latham PK, Randall PK, Glen WB, Hoffman M, Schacht JP. Opioid and Dopamine Genes Interact to Predict Naltrexone Response in a Randomized Alcohol Use Disorder Clinical Trial. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2020 Oct;44(10):2084-2096. PubMed PMID: 32772383
• Hartwell EE, Feinn R, Morris PE, Gelernter J, Krystal J, Arias AJ, Hoffman M, Petrakis I, Gueorguieva R, Schacht JP, Oslin D, Anton RF, Kranzler HR. Systematic review and meta-analysis of the moderating effect of rs1799971 in OPRM1, the mu-opioid receptor gene, on response to naltrexone treatment of alcohol use disorder. Addiction. 2020 Aug;115(8):1426-1437. PubMed PMID: 31961981
• Prisciandaro JJ, Schacht JP, Prescot AP, Brenner HM, Renshaw PF, Brown TR, Anton RF. Intraindividual changes in brain GABA, glutamate, and glutamine during monitored abstinence from alcohol in treatment-naive individuals with alcohol use disorder. Addict Biol. 2020 Nov;25(6):e12810. PubMed PMID: 31373138
• Prisciandaro JJ, Schacht JP, Prescot AP, Brenner HM, Renshaw PF, Brown TR, Anton RF. Intraindividual changes in brain GABA, glutamate, and glutamine during monitored abstinence from alcohol in treatment-naive individuals with alcohol use disorder. Addict Biol. 2019 Aug 1;:e12810. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 31373138
• Karoly HC, Schacht JP, Jacobus J, Meredith LR, Taylor CT, Tapert SF, Gray KM, Squeglia LM. Preliminary evidence that computerized approach avoidance training is not associated with changes in fMRI cannabis cue reactivity in non-treatment-seeking adolescent cannabis users. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2019 Jul 1;200:145-152. PubMed PMID: 31132681
• Prisciandaro JJ, Schacht JP, Prescot AP, Brenner HM, Renshaw PF, Brown TR, Anton RF. Evidence for a unique association between fronto-cortical glycine levels and recent heavy drinking in treatment naïve individuals with alcohol use disorder. Neurosci Lett. 2019 Jul 27;706:207-210. PubMed PMID: 31108129
• Prisciandaro JJ, Schacht JP, Prescot AP, Renshaw PF, Brown TR, Anton RF. Brain Glutamate, GABA, and Glutamine Levels and Associations with Recent Drinking in Treatment-Naïve Individuals with Alcohol Use Disorder Versus Light Drinkers. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2019 Feb;43(2):221-226. PubMed PMID: 30537347
• Karoly HC, Schacht JP, Meredith LR, Jacobus J, Tapert SF, Gray KM, Squeglia LM. Investigating a novel fMRI cannabis cue reactivity task in youth. Addict Behav. 2019 Feb;89:20-28. PubMed PMID: 30243035
• Schacht JP, Anton RF, McNamara PJ, Im Y, King AC. The dopamine transporter VNTR polymorphism moderates the relationship between acute response to alcohol and future alcohol use disorder symptoms. Addict Biol. 2019 Sep;24(5):1109-1118. PubMed PMID: 30230123
• Schacht JP, Voronin KE, Randall PK, Anton RF. Dopaminergic Genetic Variation Influences Aripiprazole Effects on Alcohol Self-Administration and the Neural Response to Alcohol Cues in a Randomized Trial. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2018 May;43(6):1247-1256. PubMed PMID: 29362512
• Schacht JP. Parsing Cannabis Exposure and Predisposing Risk Effects: Does Adolescent Cannabis Use Cause Neurocognitive Impairment, or Result From It?. Biol Psychiatry Cogn Neurosci Neuroimaging. 2018 Aug;3(8):654-656. PubMed PMID: 30092915
• Anton RF, Latham PK, Voronin KE, Randall PK, Book SW, Hoffman M, Schacht JP. Nicotine-Use/Smoking Is Associated with the Efficacy of Naltrexone in the Treatment of Alcohol Dependence. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2018 Apr;42(4):751-760. PubMed PMID: 29431852
• Nguyen-Louie TT, Simmons AN, Squeglia LM, Alejandra Infante M, Schacht JP, Tapert SF. Earlier alcohol use onset prospectively predicts changes in functional connectivity. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2018 Apr;235(4):1041-1054. PubMed PMID: 29306963
• Anton RF, Schacht JP, Voronin KE, Randall PK. Aripiprazole Suppression of Drinking in a Clinical Laboratory Paradigm: Influence of Impulsivity and Self-Control. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2017 Jul;41(7):1370-1380. PubMed PMID: 28493623
• Schacht JP, Randall PK, Latham PK, Voronin KE, Book SW, Myrick H, Anton RF. Predictors of Naltrexone Response in a Randomized Trial: Reward-Related Brain Activation, OPRM1 Genotype, and Smoking Status. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2017 Dec;42(13):2654. PubMed PMID: 29123234
• Schacht JP, Randall PK, Latham PK, Voronin KE, Book SW, Myrick H, Anton RF. Predictors of Naltrexone Response in a Randomized Trial: Reward-Related Brain Activation, OPRM1 Genotype, and Smoking Status. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2017 Dec;42(13):2640-2653. PubMed PMID: 28409564
• Boyd SJ, Schacht JP, Prisciandaro JJ, Voronin K, Anton RF. Alcohol-Induced Stimulation Mediates the Effect of a GABRA2 SNP on Alcohol Self-Administrated among Alcohol-Dependent Individuals. Alcohol Alcohol. 2016 Sep;51(5):549-54. PubMed PMID: 27117237
• Schacht JP. COMT val158met moderation of dopaminergic drug effects on cognitive function: a critical review. Pharmacogenomics J. 2016 Oct;16(5):430-8. PubMed PMID: 27241058
• Adams ZW, Schacht JP, Randall P, Anton RF. The Reasons for Heavy Drinking Questionnaire: Factor Structure and Validity in Alcohol-Dependent Adults Involved in Clinical Trials. J Stud Alcohol Drugs. 2016 Mar;77(2):354-61. PubMed PMID: 26997195
• Prisciandaro JJ, Schacht JP, Prescot AP, Renshaw PF, Brown TR, Anton RF. Associations Between Recent Heavy Drinking and Dorsal Anterior Cingulate N-Acetylaspartate and Glutamate Concentrations in Non-Treatment-Seeking Individuals with Alcohol Dependence. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2016 Mar;40(3):491-6. PubMed PMID: 26853538
• Courtney KE, Schacht JP, Hutchison K, Roche DJ, Ray LA. Neural substrates of cue reactivity: association with treatment outcomes and relapse. Addict Biol. 2016 Jan;21(1):3-22. PubMed PMID: 26435524
• Schacht JP, Anton RF, Randall PK, Li X, Henderson S, Myrick H. Varenicline effects on drinking, craving and neural reward processing among non-treatment-seeking alcohol-dependent individuals. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2014 Sep;231(18):3799-807. PubMed PMID: 24647921
• Anton RF, Schacht JP, Book SW. Pharmacologic treatment of alcoholism. Handb Clin Neurol. 2014;125:527-42. PubMed PMID: 25307594
• Schacht JP, Anton RF, Randall PK, Li X, Henderson S, Myrick H. Effects of a GABA-ergic medication combination and initial alcohol withdrawal severity on cue-elicited brain activation among treatment-seeking alcoholics. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2013 Jun;227(4):627-37. PubMed PMID: 23389755
• Schacht JP, Anton RF, Myrick H. Functional neuroimaging studies of alcohol cue reactivity: a quantitative meta-analysis and systematic review. Addict Biol. 2013 Jan;18(1):121-33. PubMed PMID: 22574861
• Schacht JP, Anton RF, Voronin KE, Randall PK, Li X, Henderson S, Myrick H. Interacting effects of naltrexone and OPRM1 and DAT1 variation on the neural response to alcohol cues. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2013 Feb;38(3):414-22. PubMed PMID: 23032071
• Schacht JP, Hutchison KE, Filbey FM. Associations between cannabinoid receptor-1 (CNR1) variation and hippocampus and amygdala volumes in heavy cannabis users. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2012 Oct;37(11):2368-76. PubMed PMID: 22669173
• Schacht JP, Randall PK, Waid LR, Baros AM, Latham PK, Wright TM, Myrick H, Anton RF. Neurocognitive performance, alcohol withdrawal, and effects of a combination of flumazenil and gabapentin in alcohol dependence. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2011 Nov;35(11):2030-8. PubMed PMID: 21631542
• Schacht JP, Anton RF, Randall PK, Li X, Henderson S, Myrick H. Stability of fMRI striatal response to alcohol cues: a hierarchical linear modeling approach. Neuroimage. 2011 May 1;56(1):61-8. PubMed PMID: 21316465
• Filbey FM, Schacht JP, Myers US, Chavez RS, Hutchison KE. Individual and additive effects of the CNR1 and FAAH genes on brain response to marijuana cues. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2010 Mar;35(4):967-75. PubMed PMID: 20010552
• Filbey FM, Schacht JP, Myers US, Chavez RS, Hutchison KE. Marijuana craving in the brain. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2009 Aug 4;106(31):13016-21. PubMed PMID: 19651613
• Schacht JP, Selling RE, Hutchison KE. Intermediate cannabis dependence phenotypes and the FAAH C385A variant: an exploratory analysis. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2009 Apr;203(3):511-7. PubMed PMID: 19002671
• Haughey HM, Marshall E, Schacht JP, Louis A, Hutchison KE. Marijuana withdrawal and craving: influence of the cannabinoid receptor 1 (CNR1) and fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) genes. Addiction. 2008 Oct;103(10):1678-86. PubMed PMID: 18705688
• Hutchison KE, Haughey H, Niculescu M, Schacht J, Kaiser A, Stitzel J, Horton WJ, Filbey F. The incentive salience of alcohol: translating the effects of genetic variant in CNR1. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2008 Jul;65(7):841-50. PubMed PMID: 18606956
• Bartels K, Schacht JP. Cocaine-positive patients undergoing elective surgery – from avoiding case cancellations to treating substance use disorders. Anesthesia & Analgesia. (in press).
• Gowin, J. L., Kirk-Provencher, K. T., Karoly, H. C., & Schacht, J. P. (in press). Structural and functional imaging of alcohol’s effects on the brain. In M. Heilig & S. Mueller (Eds.), Alcoholism and Alcohol-Related Disorders. Berlin: Springer Nature.
• Schacht JP, Kubicki, M, Anton RF. A randomized trial of the effects of COMT inhibition on subjective response to alcohol: Moderation by baseline COMT activity and mediation of alcohol self-administration. Alcohol: Clinical & Experimental Research. (in press). doi: 10.1111/acer.15227
• Sangchooli A, Zare-Bidoky M, Jouzdani AF, Schacht JP, et al. Twenty-Five Years of fMRI Cue-Reactivity: Overview of Parameter Space and Potential for Biomarker Development. JAMA Psychiatry. (in press).
• Ekhtiari H., … Schacht, J.P., et al. (in press). A Methodological Checklist for fMRI Drug Cue Reactivity Studies: Development and Expert Consensus. Nature Protocols

Practice Locations

Department of Psychiatry - Faculty and Staff Mental Health
1890 N Revere Ct
Anschutz Health Sciences Bldg, Suite 5242
Aurora, CO 80045
303-724-4987

Hospital Affiliation

• University of Colorado Hospital

Specialty Information

Specialties

• Psychology