Studying alcohol abuse has taken on increased importance: Data has shown a sharp increase in alcohol consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic, and habits have yet to return to pre-pandemic levels.

In an effort to reverse this trend, a multidisciplinary team has come together to form the USC Institute for Addiction Science. And a project planned for later this year might be the most ambitious approach to date: to open a bar-lab on the Keck Medicine of USC Health Sciences Campus. Those who wish to enter will have to enroll in a study taking place within the bar’s controlled environment, where researchers will work to determine the exact cause of the alcohol surge, effective recovery measures for alcohol use disorder and ways to predict who might be at increased risk for abuse and dependency,

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