Robert Swift, Ph.D., M.D.

Professor of Behavioral and Social Sciences

Dr. Swift received his B.A., Ph.D. and M.D.(with honors)degrees from the University of Chicago. He completed a residency in Psychiatry at Yale University and is Board Certified in Adult Psychiatry and in Addiction Psychiatry. He conducts clinical and laboratory research on the pharmacological treatment of alcohol and drug abuse and dependence. He is a recipient of research grants from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and from foundations and pharmaceutical companies. He has been the site Principal Investigator for several industry and NIH sponsored clinical trials of addiction treatments, including the NIAAA COMBINE Study, a cooperative clinical trial investigating combined pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy in the treatment of alcohol dependence. He serves frequently as a member of advisory committees to government agencies and industry. He is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association (APA), a fellow of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP), and was a regular member of the Neural Basis of Psychopathology, Addiction and Sleep (NPAS) grant review committee at the NIH from 6/11-6/14. Dr. Swift is the Associate Chief of Staff for Mental Health and the Acting Associate Chief of Staff for Education at the Providence VA Medical Center.