2026 Annual APA Convention

Hello and happy fall, everyone! We wanted to take this opportunity to introduce the 2025-2026 SoAP APA Program Committee: Drs. Silvi Goldstein (Chair), Mariel Bello (Co-Chair), Noah Emery (President), Nancy Haug (President-Elect), Susan Collins (Past President), Jaye Derrick (Treasurer), Tessa Frohe, Anne Fernandez, Lourah Kelley, Seema Clifasefi, Samuel Acuff, David Lardier, Nancy Hu, Melissa Schick, Ardhys De Leon, Kenneth Wilson, Samantha Patton, Christina Risco, Samantha Lookatch, Esther Odamah and Student Volunteers: Corey Monley (Student Representative Chair) and Katie Moskal (Student Representative Co-Chair), Emma Shinagawa, Sarah Miller, and Felicia Tuchman

We are honored to be working with Division 50 President, Dr. Noah Emery, to put together a thought-provoking, scientifically informed and clinically relevant program for the upcoming 2026 APA Convention that will be hosted in Washington, DC.

This year’s theme, “The Science of Lived Experience: Reimagining Research Through Lived and Learned Expertise,” reflects a commitment to elevating the voices of individuals with lived experience of substance use and recovery alongside scientific and clinical expertise. Our goal is to shape research priorities, study designs, and intervention development in ways that are both scientifically rigorous and deeply responsive to real-world needs. The theme invites us to reimagine what addiction research can be; scientifically rigorous, community-rooted, and grounded in lived and learned expertise.

We invite submissions that explore how integrating lived and learned expertise can transform addiction psychology and meaningfully address the persistent gap between science and practice. By intentionally inviting practitioners, people in recovery, and those with lived experience of addiction into the research process: from shaping questions to designing studies and interventions we can ensure that our work remains both rigorous and relevant to the lives of those we serve.

Submissions are encouraged on, but not limited to, topics such as:

• Community-engaged and participatory approaches to addiction science.
• Contributions and perspectives of researchers with lived experience of addiction or recovery.
• Translational research that bridges empirical evidence and real-world practice.
• Innovative methodologies that center lived experience in study design or data interpretation.
• Ethical and cultural considerations in conducting community-based addiction research.
• Training and mentorship models that integrate lived experience into professional development.
• Interdisciplinary and cross-sector collaborations that unite researchers, clinicians, and community partners to advance addiction science.
• Implementation and dissemination research that ensures interventions are feasible, equitable, and sustainable.