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Daniel J. O. Roche, PhD

Academic Title:

Assistant Professor

Primary Appointment:

Psychiatry

Location:

Spring Grove Hospital Campus, Maryland Psychiatric Research Center

Education and Training

  • B.A.  Psychology, University of Connecticut
  • Ph.D.  Neurobiology, University of Chicago
  • Postdoc  University of California, Los Angeles

Biosketch

Dr. Roche received his B.A in Psychology from University of Connecticut in 2003 where he performed behavioral neuroscience research using animal models of addiction in Dr. John Salamone’s laboratory. He subsequently worked at the Olin Neuropsychiatry Research Center in Hartford, CT as a research assistant in Dr. Godfrey Pearlson’s COBBRA laboratory performing neuroimaging and behavioral research in people with schizophrenia.

Dr. Roche received his Ph.D. in Neurobiology in 2012 from the University of Chicago under the mentorship of Andrea King, Ph.D. and did postdoctoral research at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in the laboratory of Lara Ray, Ph.D. After completing his postdoc, Dr. Roche remained at UCLA as a Research Scientist and Lecturer in the Department Psychology and an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry.

Dr. Roche joined the faculty at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in the Department of Psychiatry in 2018 and the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center in 2019. 

Research/Clinical Keywords

Human laboratory models of addiction, behavioral pharmacology, clinical trials, medication development

Highlighted Publications

Ray, L.A., Du, H., Green, R., Roche, D.J.O., Bujarski, S. In press. Do behavioral pharmacology findings predict clinical trials outcomes? A proof-of-concept in medication development for alcohol use disorder. Neuropsychopharmacology.

Roche DJO, Bennett M, Weiner E. 2020. Pharmacological interventions to address cigarette smoking in people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Lancet Psychiatry. 7(9):723-724. doi: 10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30353-9. PubMed PMID: 32828151.

Roche D.J.O., Argos M, Trela C.J., Jasmine F, Kibriya M.G., Ahsan H, King A.C. 2019. Lack of Association between Opioid-Receptor Genotypes and Smoking Cessation Outcomes in a Randomized, Controlled Naltrexone Trial. Alcohol and Alcoholism. 54(5):559-565. doi: 10.1093/alcalc/agz046. PubMed PMID: 31206155.

Ray L.A., Green R., Roche, D.J.O., Magill, M., Bujarski, S. 2019. Naltrexone effects on subjective responses to alcohol in the human laboratory: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Addiction Biology. 2019 Nov;24(6):1138-1152. doi: 10.1111/adb.12747. PubMed PMID: 31148304; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6819195

Roche D.J.O., Bujarski S., Green R., Hartwell E.E., Leventhal A.M., Ray L.A. 2019. Alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana consumption is associated with increased odds of same-day substance co-and tri-use. Drug and Alcohol Dependence. 200:40-49. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2019.02.035. PubMed PMID: 31085377; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6675401.

Bujarski, S., Jentsch, J. D., Roche, D. J. O., Ramchandani, V. A., Miotto, K., & Ray, L. A. 2018. Differences in the subjective and motivational properties of alcohol across alcohol use severity: application of a novel translational human laboratory paradigm. Neuropsychopharmacology. 43(9):1891-1899. doi: 10.1038/s41386-018-0086-9. Epub 2018 May 8. PubMed PMID: 29802367; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6046045.

Roche D.J.O., Worley M.J., Courtney K.E., Bujarski S, London E.D., Shoptaw S, Ray L.A. 2017. Naltrexone moderates the relationship between cue-induced craving and subjective response to methamphetamine in individuals with methamphetamine use disorder. Psychopharmacology. 234(13):1997-2007. doi: 10.1007/s00213-017-4607-8.

Roche D.J.O., Yardley M.M., Lunny K.F., Louie S.G., Davies D.L., Miotto K, Ray L.A. 2016. A pilot study of the safety and initial efficacy of ivermectin for the treatment of alcohol use disorder. Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research. 40(6):1312-20. doi: 10.1111/acer.13064. Epub 2016 Apr 18. PubMed PMID: 27087145; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4942320.

Roche D.J.O., Ray L.A., Yardley M.M., King A.C. 2016. Current insights into the mechanisms and development of treatments for heavy-drinking cigarette smokers.  Current Addiction Reports. 3(1):125-137. doi: 10.1007/s40429-016-0081-3. Epub 2016 Feb 3. PubMed PMID: 27162709; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4859339.

Roche D.J.O., King A.C. 2015. Sex differences in hormonal and subjective response to naltrexone: the impact of menstrual cycle phase. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 52:59-71. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.10.013. Epub 2014 Oct 30. PubMed PMID: 25459893; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4482338.

Roche D.J.O., Bujarski S, Hartwell E, Green R, Ray L.A. 2015. Combined varenicline and naltrexone treatment reduces smoking topography intensity in heavy-drinking smokers. Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior. 134:92-8. doi: 10.1016/j.pbb.2015.04.013. Epub 2015 Apr 28. PubMed PMID: 25933795; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4457679.

Roche D.J.O., Palmeri M.D., King A.C.  2013.  Acute alcohol response in heavy drinkers is a robust and reproducible phenotype.  Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.  38(3):844-52. doi: 10.1111/acer.12280. Epub 2013 Oct 7. PubMed PMID: 24117681; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4167376.

Roche D.J.O., King A.C., Cahoon A.J., Lovallo W.R.  2013.  Hormonal contraceptive use diminishes salivary cortisol response to psychosocial stress and naltrexone in healthy women.  Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior.  109:84-90. doi: 10.1016/j.pbb.2013.05.007. Epub 2013 May 12. PubMed PMID: 23672966; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3683955.

Roche D.J.O., Bujarski S., Moallem N., Guzman I., Shapiro J., Ray L.A. 2014. Predictors of smoking lapse in a human laboratory paradigm.  Psychopharmacology.  231(14):2889-97. doi: 10.1007/s00213-014-3465-x. Epub 2014 Feb 6. PubMed PMID: 24500677.

Additional Publication Citations

Ray L.A., Bujarski S., Magill M., Roche D.J.O. 2018. Overcoming the “valley of death” in medications development for alcohol use disorder. Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research. 42(9):1612-1622. doi: 10.1111/acer.13829. Epub 2018 Jul 30. Review. PubMed PMID: 29969156; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6146966.

Lim A.C., Roche D.J.O., and Ray L.A. 2018. Distress tolerance and craving for cigarettes among heavy drinking smokers. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. 79(6):918-928. PubMed PMID: 30573023; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6308171.

Ray L.A. and Roche D.J.O.  2018. Neurobiology of Craving: Current Findings and New Directions. Current Addiction Reports. 5(2):102–109. doi.org/10.1007/s40429-018-0202-2

Ray L.A., Green R., Roche D.J.O., Bujarski S., Hartwell E.E., Lim A.C., Rohrbaugh T., Ghahremani D., Hutchison K., Miotto K. 2018. Pharmacogenetic Effects of Naltrexone in Individuals of East Asian Descent: Human Laboratory Findings from a Randomized Trial. Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research. 42(3):613-623. doi: 10.1111/acer.13586. Epub 2018 Feb 1. PubMed PMID: 29265379; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6086578.

Ray L.A., Bujarski S., Yardley M.M., Roche D.J.O., & Hartwell E. 2017. Differences between treatment-seeking and non-treatment seeking participants in medication studies for alcoholism: Do they matter? American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse. 43(6):703-710. doi: 10.1080/00952990.2017.1312423. Epub 2017 Apr 20. PubMed PMID: 28426264; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6159933.

Ray L.A., Bujarski S, Shoptaw S, Roche D.J.O., Heinzerling K, & Miotto K. 2017. Development of the neuroimmune modulator ibudilast for the treatment of alcoholism: a randomized, placebo-controlled, human laboratory trial. Neuropsychopharmacology. 42(9):1776-1788. doi: 10.1038/npp.2017.10. Epub 2017 Jan 16. PubMed PMID: 28091532; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5520778.

Green R, Bujarski S, Roche D.J.O., Ray L.A. 2016.  Relationship between Negative Affect and Smoking Topography in Heavy Drinking Smokers.  Addictive Behaviors. 61:53-7. doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2016.05.016. Epub 2016 May 18. PubMed PMID: 27240211; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6090554.

Worley M.J., Heinzerling K.G., Roche D.J.O., Shoptaw S. 2016. Ibudilast attenuates positive subjective effects of methamphetamine in a placebo-controlled inpatient study. Drug and Alcohol Dependence. 162:245-50. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2016.02.036. Epub 2016 Mar 3. PubMed PMID: 26993372; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5349508.

Courtney K.E., Schacht J.P., Hutchison K.E., Roche D.J.O., Ray L.A. 2016. Neural substrates of cue-reactivity: association with treatment outcomes and relapse. Addiction Biology. 21(1):3-22. doi: 10.1111/adb.12314. Epub 2015 Oct 4. Review. PubMed PMID: 26435524; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4986996.

Ray L.A., Bujarski S, Roche D.J.O. 2016. Subjective Response to Alcohol as a Research Domain Criterion. Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.  40(1):6-17. doi: 10.1111/acer.12927. Review. PubMed PMID: 26727518.

Bujarski S, Hutchison K.E., Roche D.J.O., Ray L.A. 2015. Factor structure of subjective responses to alcohol in light and heavy drinkers.  Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research. 39(7):1193-202. doi: 10.1111/acer.12737. Epub 2015 May 22. PubMed PMID: 26010049; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4490987.

Ray L.A., Courtney K.E., Moallem N.R., Bujarski S, Lunny K., Roche D.J.O., Leventhal A, Shoptaw S., Heinzerling K., London E.D., & Miotto K. 2015. The effects of naltrexone on subjective response to methamphetamine in a clinical sample: a double-blind, placebo-controlled laboratory study.  Neuropsychopharmacology.  40(10):2347-56. doi: 10.1038/npp.2015.83. Epub 2015 Mar 24. PubMed PMID: 25801501; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4538349.

Roche D.J.O, Ray L.A. 2015. Subjective response as a consideration in the pharmacogenetics of alcoholism treatment. Pharmacogenomics. 16(7):721-36. doi: 10.2217/pgs.14.143. Epub 2015 May 7. Review. PubMed PMID: 25950242.

Bujarski, S.E., Roche, D.J.O., Sheets, E.S., Krull, J.L., Guzman, I., Ray, L.A. 2015. Modeling naturalistic craving, withdrawal, and affect during 24 hours of nicotine abstinence.  Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology. 23(2):81-9. doi: 10.1037/a0038861. PubMed PMID: 25844632; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4388058.

Ray L.A., Roche D.J.O., Heinzerling K., Shoptaw S. 2014. Opportunities for the development of neuroimmune therapies in addiction. 2014.  International Review of Neurobiology.  118:381-401. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-801284-0.00012-9. Review. PubMed PMID: 25175870.

Bujarski S., Roche D.J.O., Lunny K., Moallem N., Courtney K.E., Allen V., Hartwell E., Leventhal A., Rohrbaugh T., Ray L.A. 2014. The relationship between methamphetamine and alcohol use in a community sample of methamphetamine users. Drug and Alcohol Dependence. 142:127-32. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2014.06.004. Epub 2014 Jun 17. PubMed PMID: 24975477; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4157644.

Childs E., Roche D.J.O., King A.C., de Wit H.  2012.  Varenicline potentiates alcohol-induced negative subjective responses and offsets impaired eye movements.  Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.  36(5):906-14. doi: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2011.01675.x. Epub 2012 Feb 16. PubMed PMID: 22339626; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3342420.

King A.C., Roche D.J.O., Rueger S.Y.  2011.  Subjective responses to alcohol: A paradigm shift may be brewing. Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research. 35(10):1726-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2011.01629.x. Epub 2011 Sep 15. PubMed PMID: 21919923.

Roche D.J.O., King A.C.  2010. Alcohol impairment of saccadic and smooth pursuit eye movements:  Impact of risk factors for alcohol dependence.  Psychopharmacology (Berl). 212(1):33-44. doi: 10.1007/s00213-010-1906-8. Epub 2010 Jul 16. PubMed PMID: 20635179; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4633411.

Roche D.J.O., Childs E., Epstein A.E., King A.C. 2010. Acute HPA axis response to naltrexone differs in female vs. male smokers. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 35(4):596-606. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2009.09.016. Epub 2009 Oct 17. PubMed PMID: 19837518; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC2843791.

Research Interests

The research objectives of Dr. Roche’s lab are twofold. The first research focus is to use human laboratory models of addiction to identify the behavioral and biological mechanisms that contribute to the etiology, maintenance, and treatment of substance- and alcohol-use disorder. The second is to leverage this knowledge into developing and testing novel pharmacological treatments for addiction. Dr. Roche’s lab combines behavioral pharmacology, neurocognitive testing, neuroimaging, and clinical trial designs to achieve these objectives.

Please see the lab website for more information and description of current projects: 

https://www.mprc.umaryland.edu/addiction

Links of Interest

https://www.medschool.umaryland.edu/addiction/