Dr. Charles P. O'Brien is a world-renowned leader in addiction medicine whose pioneering work has transformed the scientific understanding and clinical treatment of substance use disorders. He currently holds the distinguished position of Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine, where he previously served as the Kenneth E. Appel Professor of Psychiatry and Vice Chair of the Department. Born in New Orleans in 1939, Dr. O'Brien earned both his MD and PhD in Neurophysiology from Tulane University in 1964 and 1966 respectively, completing rigorous residency training in internal medicine, neurology, and psychiatry across Harvard University, Tulane University, the University of London, and the University of Pennsylvania. His distinguished career includes serving as Chief of Psychiatry at the Philadelphia Veterans Administration Medical Center until 2008, where he managed care for over 9,000 psychiatric patients while simultaneously establishing his groundbreaking research program.
Dr. O'Brien founded the Center for Studies of Addiction at the University of Pennsylvania in 1971, directing this influential research institution for more than forty years and producing over 500 publications that have fundamentally reshaped addiction science. His research group pioneered the development of new medications and behavioral treatments for substance use disorders, creating standardized instruments for measuring addiction severity that are now used globally in clinical practice and research settings. His work has elucidated the neurobiological mechanisms underlying addiction, particularly regarding opioid and alcohol dependence, establishing the scientific foundation that addiction is a chronic brain disorder rather than a moral failing. These discoveries have directly influenced clinical practice guidelines worldwide and significantly improved treatment outcomes for millions of individuals struggling with addiction.
Dr. O'Brien's leadership extends beyond his laboratory as he chaired the Substance Use Disorders Committee for the DSM-5 revision and served on numerous Institute of Medicine committees addressing substance abuse policy and science. His election to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences in 1991 recognized his exceptional contributions to the field, and he has received numerous prestigious awards including the Gold Medal for Research from the Society on Biological Psychiatry and the Sarnat International Prize for Mental Health. As a past president of both the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology and the Association for Research in Nervous and Mental Disease, he has shaped the trajectory of neuroscience and addiction research nationally and internationally. His enduring legacy continues through the Charles O'Brien Center for Addiction Treatment at Penn Medicine, which carries forward his commitment to evidence-based approaches and innovative solutions to one of medicine's most challenging public health crises.
