Ben Lewis, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
About Ben Lewis
Dr. Lewis completed his undergraduate studies at New College of Florida in 2004. His graduate work was conducted in the Behavioral Neuroscience & Psychopharmacology doctoral program at the University of Kentucky, and focused on medications development for alcohol use disorders. His dissertation research utilized molecular, cellular, organotypic, and behavioral models of alcohol-associated toxicity to screen novel NMDAr modulators for neuroprotective efficacy.
Dr. Lewis received clinical research training as a postdoctoral fellow in the Neurocognitive Laboratory, under the mentorship of Dr. Sara Jo Nixon. During this training he integrated his doctoral experience in psychopharmacology and behavioral neuroscience with neuropsychological and electroencephalographic methods. His postdoctoral research included examination of neurobehavioral concomitants of acute alcohol in aging adults, development of novel interventions for alcohol use disorder, and investigation of alcohol-associated deficits in affective processing.
As an assistant professor, Dr. Lewis remains in the Neurocognitive Laboratory. He is involved in several ongoing research projects, including the direction of a Career Development Award (K01) from the National Institute of Alcohol & Alcoholism (NIAAA) received in 2018.
Accomplishments
Teacher Scholar Award
2018
·
University of Florida
NIAAA R13 Alcoholism and Stress (Volterra) Travel Award
2017
·
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
Center for Alcohol Research & Education Travel Award
2016-2017
·
Center for Alcohol Research & Education
International Women’s and Children’s Health and Gender Travel Award
2014
·
International Women’s and Children’s Health and Gender
NIDA Sex/Gender Differences Junior Investigator Travel Award
2014
·
National Institute on Drug Abuse
NIH Clinical Loan Repayment Program Award
2012-2014
·
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
Clinical Research Seed Grant Award,
2012
·
University of Florida, Department of Psychiatry
Research Society on Alcoholism Travel Award
2006-2015
·
Research Society on Alcoholism
Teaching Profile
Courses Taught
2020-2024
GMS6029 Brain Journal Club
2019-2024
GMS6781 Foundations in Addiction and Substance Use Disorders
2021-2022
MDU4001 Introduction to Medical Science Seminar 1
Research Profile
Broadly, Dr. Lewis’ research interests include understanding the neurobehavioral concomitants of chronic and acute substance use. Although his past/recent analyses have included opioids, marijuana, and other substances of abuse, he has maintained a particular focus on alcohol. This interest spans all patterns of consumption, from moderate/low-risk to chronic/heavy drinking, and has included investigations across the lifespan, from fetal exposure to elderly drinkers.
In 2018, Dr. Lewis was awarded a Career Development Award (K01) from the National Institute of Alcohol & Alcoholism (NIAAA), entitled “Enhancing Recovery Outcomes in Alcohol Use Disorder: Cognitive Training as an Adjunct to Treatment”. The major aim of this project is the development of novel behavioral interventions for substance abuse. Specific goals include using cognitive training to improve neurocognitive recovery, enhance treatment efficacy, and improve post-discharge functioning among treatment-seeking individuals with alcohol use disorders.
Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCID)
0000-0001-7534-8747
Publications
2024
Urine and hair drug test results associated with daily consumption of codeine-predominant poppy seed food products
Journal of Analytical Toxicology.
48(1):27-36
[DOI] 10.1093/jat/bkad083.
2023
Blood Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) Concentrations following Intensive Use of an Alcohol-based Hand Sanitizer
Journal of Analytical Toxicology.
46(9):979-990
[DOI] 10.1093/jat/bkab115.
2022
Racially invariant stimuli may bias outcomes in assessment of emotion processing.
Psychology of Addictive Behaviors.
36(5):499-504
[DOI] 10.1037/adb0000775.
[PMID] 34410755.
2021
Blood Phosphatidylethanol Concentrations Following Regular Exposure to an Alcohol-Based Mouthwash
Journal of Analytical Toxicology.
45(9):950-956
[DOI] 10.1093/jat/bkaa147.
[PMID] 33024993.
2021
The impact of emotional face stimuli on working memory performance among men and women with alcohol use disorder.
Addictive behaviors.
114
[DOI] 10.1016/j.addbeh.2020.106731.
[PMID] 33218841.
2020
Exploring differences between self-report and electrophysiological indices of drowsy driving: A usability examination of a personal brain-computer interface device.
Journal of safety research.
74:27-34
[DOI] 10.1016/j.jsr.2020.04.006.
[PMID] 32951791.
2020
Impact of polysubstance use on social and non-affective cognitive performance among treatment-seeking individuals with alcohol use disorders.
Addictive behaviors.
106
[DOI] 10.1016/j.addbeh.2020.106359.
[PMID] 32109774.
2020
Impact of polysubstance use on social and non-affective cognitive performance among treatment-seeking individuals with alcohol use disorders.
.
2020
Randomized trial to assess safety/feasibility of memantine administration during residential treatment for alcohol use disorder: a pilot study.
Journal of addictive diseases.
38(2):91-99
[DOI] 10.1080/10550887.2020.1721404.
[PMID] 32050864.
2020
The roles of phosphatidylethanol, ethyl glucuronide, and ethyl sulfate in identifying alcohol consumption among participants in professionals health programs.
Drug testing and analysis.
12(8):1102-1108
[DOI] 10.1002/dta.2809.
[PMID] 32309913.
2019
Characterizing chronic pain and alcohol use trajectory among treatment-seeking alcoholics
Alcohol.
75:47-54
2019
Clarifying the neurobehavioral sequelae of moderate drinking lifestyles and acute alcohol effects with aging.
International review of neurobiology.
148:39-78
[DOI] 10.1016/bs.irn.2019.10.016.
[PMID] 31733667.
2019
Differences in pituitary-adrenal reactivity in Black and White men with and without alcohol use disorder.
Psychoneuroendocrinology.
100:180-189
[DOI] 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.10.004.
[PMID] 30347319.
2019
Emotional Face Processing among Treatment-Seeking Individuals with Alcohol Use Disorders: Investigating Sex Differences and Relationships with Interpersonal Functioning
Alcohol and Alcoholism.
54(4):361-369
[DOI] 10.1093/alcalc/agz010.
[PMID] 30796771.
2019
Neurophysiological and Interpersonal Correlates of Emotional Face Processing in Alcohol Use Disorder.
Alcoholism, clinical and experimental research.
43(9):1928-1936
[DOI] 10.1111/acer.14152.
[PMID] 31403716.
2019
Working Memory Performance Following Acute Alcohol: Replication and Extension of Dose by Age Interactions
Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.
80(1):86-95
2018
Characterizing Anxiety Among Individuals Receiving Treatment for Alcohol and Substance Use Disorders.
Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association.
24(4):343-351
[DOI] 10.1177/1078390317739106.
[PMID] 29126358.
2018
Drinking patterns and adherence to “low-risk” guidelines among community-residing older adults
Drug and Alcohol Dependence.
187:285-291
[DOI] 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2018.02.031.
[PMID] 29698895.
2018
Effects of Acute Alcohol and Driving Complexity in Older and Younger Adults
.
235(3):887-896
2018
Race and socioeconomic status in substance use progression and treatment entry
Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse.
17(2):150-166
2017
Opioid Misuse Trends in Treatment Seeking Populations: Revised Prescription Opioid Policy and Temporally Corresponding Changes.
Substance use & misuse.
52(14):1850-1858
[DOI] 10.1080/10826084.2017.1316291.
[PMID] 29064735.
2016
Acute behavioral and long-term health effects of moderate alcohol use in older adults
.
3(1):62-74
2016
Effects of Age and Acute Moderate Alcohol Administration on Electrophysiological Correlates of Working Memory Maintenance.
Alcoholism, clinical and experimental research.
40(9):1874-83
[DOI] 10.1111/acer.13154.
[PMID] 27419803.
2016
Effects of Age and Acute Moderate Alcohol Administration on Neurophysiology During Simulated Driving.
Alcoholism, clinical and experimental research.
40(12):2519-2527
[DOI] 10.1111/acer.13243.
[PMID] 27739091.
2014
Characterizing gender differences in treatment seekers.
Alcoholism, clinical and experimental research.
38(1):275-84
[DOI] 10.1111/acer.12228.
[PMID] 23930695.
2014
Nicotine Use in Alcoholics: Normalizing Stress and Performance?
Alcohol.
48(2)
2014
Sex differences in alcohol-related neurobehavioral consequences
Handbook Of Clinical Neurology.
125:253-272
2014
Sex differences in drug use among polysubstance users
Drug and Alcohol Dependence.
145:127-133
2013
Cognitive flexibility during breath alcohol plateau is associated with previous drinking measures.
Alcohol (Fayetteville, N.Y.).
47(4):333-8
[DOI] 10.1016/j.alcohol.2013.01.007.
[PMID] 23597416.
2013
Neurophysiological correlates of moderate alcohol consumption in older and younger social drinkers.
Alcoholism, clinical and experimental research.
37(6):941-51
[DOI] 10.1111/acer.12055.
[PMID] 23278355.
2012
Behavioral deficits and cellular damage following developmental ethanol exposure in rats are attenuated by CP-101,606, an NMDAR antagonist with unique NR2B specificity
Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior.
100(3):545-553
2012
Polyamine modulation of NMDARs as a mechanism to reduce effects of alcohol dependence
Recent patents on CNS drug discovery.
7(2):129-144
2010
Agmatine reduces ultrasonic vocalization deficits in female rat pups exposed neonatally to ethanol
Neurotoxicology and Teratology.
32(2):158-163
2009
Difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) reduces deficits in isolation-induced ultrasonic vocalizations and balance following neonatal ethanol exposure in rats
Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior.
92(1):44-50
2009
Effects of mecamylamine on alcohol consumption and preference in male C57BL/6J mice
Pharmacology.
83(6):379-384
2009
Lobeline, a nicotinic partial agonist attenuates alcohol consumption and preference in male C57BL/6J mice
Physiology & Behavior.
97(3):503-506
2009
Topiramate attenuates the stress-induced increase in alcohol consumption and preference in male C57BL/6J mice
Physiology & Behavior.
96(1):189-193
2008
Acamprosate attenuates the handling induced convulsions during alcohol withdrawal in Swiss Webster mice
Physiology & Behavior.
95(1):267-270
2007
Agmatine Reduces Balance Deficits In a Rat Model of Third Trimester Binge-Like Ethanol Exposure
Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior.
88(1):114-121
2007
Topiramate (Topamax) Reduces Conditioned Abstinence Behaviors and Handling Induced Convulsion (HIC) After Chronic Administration of Alcohol in Swiss-Webster Mice
Alcohol and Alcoholism.
42(4):296-300
2006
Severe deficit in brain reward function associated with fentanyl withdrawal in rats.
Biological psychiatry.
59(5):477-80
[PMID] 16169528.
Grants
Mar 2022
ACTIVE
Determining the Longer-term Impact of COVID-19 Stressors, Alcohol Use and Neurobiobehavioral Decline in Older Adults Through Prospective Study
Role: Co-Investigator
Funding: NATL INST OF HLTH NIAAA
Sep 2018
ACTIVE
Enhancing Recovery Outcomes in Alcohol Use Disorder: Cognitive Training as an Adjunct to Treatment
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: NATL INST OF HLTH NIAAA
Apr 2017
– Mar 2020
Sex Differences, Cognitive Training & Emotion Processing: A pilot study of Treatment-Seeking Men and Women with Alcohol Use Disorder
Role: Co-Investigator
Funding: NATL INST OF HLTH NIAAA
Education
Postdoctoral Associate, Neurocognitive Laboratory
2012-2018
·
University of Florida
Ph.D. Behavioral Neuroscience & Psychopharmacology
2011
·
University of Kentucky
Master of Science, Behavioral Neuroscience & Psychopharmacology
2008
·
University of Kentucky
Bachelor of Arts
2004
·
New College of Florida
Contact Details
Phones:
- Business:
- (352) 294-8724
Emails:
- Business:
- benlewis@ufl.edu
Addresses:
- Business Mailing:
-
PO Box 103424
GAINESVILLE FL 32610 - Business Street:
-
L4-100 BRAIN INSTITUTE
100 NEWELL DRIVE
BOX 100256
GAINESVILLE FL 326100256