Alcohol Research Group

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  • The Center
    • About
          • ABOUT THE CENTER

            • History, Mission, & Focus
          • MEET THE DIRECTOR


            Senior Scientist, William (Bill) C. Kerr, PhD, is Director of ARG’s National Alcohol Research Center and Co-Directs the National Alcohol Survey and the Health Disparities projects.  Bill also serves as the scientific director at ARG and continues to lead R01 projects, including a grant to investigate secondhand harms from alcohol and other drugs.

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    • People
          • THE CENTER TEAM

            • Center Leadership
            • Scientific Advisory Board
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          • MEET THE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR

            Senior Scientist Nina Mulia, DrPH, is Center Associate Director and Director of the Alcohol Services project. She specializes in and has published widely on race and ethnicity and socioeconomic disparities in heavy drinking, alcohol problems, and alcohol services utilization.

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    • Research
          • CENTER RESEARCH

            • Cores
            • Research Projects
            • Affiliated Research
          • ASSESSING HID OVER THE LIFECOURSE

            This project, led by Camillia Lui, PhD, traces trends in harmful drinking patterns over a 40-year period, and identifies a range of alcohol-related precursors and problems through event-based and population-based approaches to inform early screening and interventions for high-risk groups.

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    • National Alcohol Surveys
          • ABOUT THE SURVEY

            • About the National Alcohol Survey
            • NAS Datasets
            • Get Access to the NAS data
          • MEET THE SURVEY CO-DIRECTOR

            Scientist and Deputy Scientific Director, Priscilla Martinez, oversees the survey design, data collection, and analyses.  In the latest cycle of the NAS, Priscilla conducted dried blood spot sampling to help better understand the relationship between how our immune systems work and what role they might play in how alcohol use can affect our mental health.

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  • Training Program
        • OVERVIEW

          • About the Training Program
          • Predoctoral Fellowship
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        • APPLY NOW

          • Predoctoral Fellowship Application
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        • TRAINING STAFF

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Recent Findings

New Study Reveals Disparities in At-Risk Drinking Among People with Diabetes, Cancer, or a Heart Condition

October 19, 2023 by

September 19, 2023 --New research published in The Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, found that older non-Hispanic white adults with diabetes or a heart condition were less likely to engage in at-risk drinking than their counterparts without any of four major health conditions, including diabetes, cancer, hypertension, and heart conditions. However, among older Black, Hispanic/Latinx, and Asian adults, at-risk drinking rates were similar between individuals living with and … [Read more...]

Defining recovery — as people in recovery see it

September 18, 2023 by

US study asks almost 10,000 people in recovery from substance use how they define recovery and identifies shared elements that may help support an addiction-free life Emeryville, CA (September 18, 2023) A new study found that when asking people in recovery from a substance use disorder (SUD) how they define recovery, over 90% agreed that recovery is comprised of four key elements: A process of growth and development; Being honest with myself; Taking responsibility for the things I … [Read more...]

New Study Shows Expansion of Medicaid Increases Alcohol Screenings and Highlights Need for Policies, Programs that Improves Patient Screenings

August 7, 2023 by

A new study published in Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research, found that people living in U.S. states with expanded Medicaid access are more likely to receive alcohol screening during primary care checkups than people living in states that did not expand Medicaid access. The study also revealed the need for improvements in alcohol screenings for patients who do receive Medicaid – for example, comprehensive, evidence-based screenings or brief counseling. Led by Aryn Phillips, PhD, an … [Read more...]

New study uncovers racial and ethnic disparities in co-use of alcohol and other drugs among adults with a chronic condition

July 15, 2023 by

US national study finds that among Black, Hispanic/Latinx and Asian adults, alcohol and other drug co-use is linked to a greater likelihood of risky drinking  Racial and ethnic minority adults with a chronic condition who co-use alcohol and other drugs have disproportionately greater odds of drinking than their White counterparts, according to a new study from the Alcohol Research Group (ARG), a program of the Public Health Institute. Published in Alcohol and Alcoholism, the study examined … [Read more...]

Childhood adversity before age 5 associated with greater cannabis use in early adolescence

June 21, 2023 by

New longitudinal study examines how early childhood adversity can increase risk of adolescent substance use A new study published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence found pathways linking early childhood adversity (ECA) before the age of five and alcohol and cannabis use in adolescence. ECA was associated with both greater behavioral issues and lower academic performance in childhood, which predicted increased substance use in adolescence and, in turn, lower high school completion by … [Read more...]

Availability of alcohol soared during the first year of the pandemic

May 11, 2023 by

Press Release: May 11, 2023 During the first year of the pandemic, the number of people who live in a state that allowed bars and/or restaurants to deliver alcohol rose by 284%. This increase was more dramatic for to-go sales, climbing by 627%, according to a new study from researchers at the Alcohol Research Group, a program of the Public Health Institute, and RTI International. Researchers combined state policy data with survey data on alcohol purchases during the pandemic. This enabled … [Read more...]

COVID-19 study finds striking differences in access to health care during the pandemic

April 1, 2023 by

US national study reveals disparities in general and behavioral health care receipt, suggests telehealth is a vital bridge to care for traditionally underserved groups during the pandemic A new study published today in Preventive Medicine found that, during the first year of the pandemic, Hispanic/Latinx individuals and lower-income individuals were less likely to receive needed health care when compared to White individuals and people with higher incomes. Led by researchers at the Alcohol … [Read more...]

Effects of Medicaid expansion on alcohol and opioid treatment admissions in racial and ethnic groups

January 10, 2023 by

Recognizing that excessive drinking is a leading cause of preventable death in the US and that US opioid mortality rates have risen dramatically in recent decades, the US Affordable Care Act and Medicaid expansion sought to increase Americans’ health insurance coverage and access to substance use treatment services. Whether or not these landmark policies benefitted diverse population subgroups is an important public health question.  A study, led by Senior Scientist Nina Mulia, examined the … [Read more...]

Study reveals differences in alcohol screenings, resulting in missed opportunities for treatment

September 8, 2022 by

Race, ethnicity, education and insurance status can determine the quality of alcohol screenings and care Emeryville, CA (September 8, 2022) – Some racial and ethnic groups are not receiving adequate screening for alcohol use in clinical settings, according to a new study from the Alcohol Research Group (ARG), a program of the Public Health Institute, in collaboration with RTI International. Published today in Preventive Medicine Reports, the study looked at predictors such as sex, age, race and … [Read more...]

COVID-19 Study Finds More Drinking, but Fewer Drinkers

June 26, 2022 by

US national study compares alcohol consumption before COVID-19 to after and finds significant changes in who is drinking and how much Emeryville, CA (June 26, 2022) — A new study published today in the journal, Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, found that alcohol consumption patterns changed significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic, when compared to the pre-pandemic period.  While the proportions of the population that was drinking and drinking with a risky pattern declined, … [Read more...]

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Latest News

January 2nd, 2026
Webinar Series: Overcoming Barriers to Opioid Treatment Research in Recovery Housing
December 31st, 2025
In the News: Scientist Priscilla Martinez Discusses the Unpublished Alcohol Intake and Health Study
December 29th, 2025
How People with Substance Use Disorder Can Benefit from Different Types of Support Groups
December 15th, 2025
How Neighborhoods and Culture Shape Alcohol Problems in Young Mexican Americans
November 15th, 2025
Exploring Links Between Substance Use Combinations and Mental Health Wellness in College Students

Recent Findings

December 15th, 2025
How Neighborhoods and Culture Shape Alcohol Problems in Young Mexican Americans
November 15th, 2025
Exploring Links Between Substance Use Combinations and Mental Health Wellness in College Students
April 2nd, 2025
New Study Reveals Why Alcohol Use Increased During the Pandemic
November 23rd, 2024
Data disaggregation reveals hidden suicide risk
November 21st, 2024
Millions of Americans Hurt By Others’ Drinking, Drug Use: Study

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Who We Are

About ARG

We are a non-profit research organization that seeks to improve public health through deepening our understanding of alcohol and other drug use and investigating innovative approaches to reduce its consequences for individuals, families, and communities.

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