Ben Lewis, Ph.D.

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.

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.