Bertha Madras, PhD is Professor of Psychobiology, Harvard Medical School, is based at McLean Hospital, and is cross-appointed at the Massachusetts General Hospital. Her research focuses on brain biology and addiction. She has written or edited over 200 manuscripts, essays, articles, monographs and books, including “The Cell Biology of Addiction”, and “Effects of Drug Abuse on the Human Nervous System”. She holds 19 U.S. and 27 international patents.
- She served as Deputy Director for Demand Reduction in the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, a presidential appointment confirmed unanimously by U.S. Senate.
- She wrote a commissioned report for the World Health Organization on marijuana and recently served as a panelist on Narcotics at the Vatican Pontifical Academy of Sciences, and co-authored the final statement.
- In 2017, she was appointed as one of six members of the President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis, which included Governor Roy Cooper (NC). The Commission Chair Governor Christie asked her to shepherd the final Commission report.
- Currently, she serves as a member of the National Academy of Medicine Collaborative on the Opioid Crisis.
- Her prevention efforts included the development of a Boston, Museum of Science exhibit and CD (licensed by Disney), called “Changing Your Mind: Drugs in the Brain”.
- She is the recipient of an NIH MERIT award, Public Service Awards, National Leadership Award, Innovators Award, and others.
Her experiences in brain biology, education, government and public service offer her a unique perspective on science and public policy.