Mark S. Gold

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Mark S. Gold
Mark S. Gold.jpg
Born1949 (age 76–77)
Education
Scientific career
Institutions

Mark S. Gold (born 1949) is an American physician, academic, and researcher known for his work on the effects of opioids, cocaine, tobacco, and food on brain function and behavior. He has held academic positions as a professor of neuroscience and psychiatry and served as chair [1] of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Florida College of Medicine, where he established the Division of Addiction Medicine.

Contents

Gold's research has focused on the mechanisms underlying opioid addiction, particularly the role of the locus coeruleus in dependence and withdrawal, contributing to treatment methods developed in 1978. [2] He contributed to the use of opioid antagonists, such as naltrexone, in treating opioid addiction and helped develop treatment strategies for substances including cocaine, [3] methamphetamine, and alcohol. [4] His research on dopamine's role in addiction extended to compulsive behaviors like overeating and gambling, examining links between substance addiction and behavioral compulsions. His work also contributed to the concept of food addiction, [5] especially regarding highly processed, high-fat, and high-sugar foods.

Early life

Raised in Teaneck, New Jersey, Gold graduated from Teaneck High School in 1967. He attended Washington University in St. Louis, graduating with honors in psychology and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. In 1987, he received a Distinguished Alumni Award from Washington University. [6]

Gold began his career at the University of Florida in 1970, researching brain processes related to sleep and memory in the Department of Neuroscience. He later earned his medical degree from the University of Florida College of Medicine and completed a psychiatry residency and fellowship at Yale University School of Medicine.

Career

At the University of Florida, Gold held professorships in neuroscience, psychiatry, anesthesiology, community health, and family medicine. He became chair of the Department of Psychiatry in 2009, founded the Division of Addiction Medicine, and established the Florida Recovery Center. [1] [7] His research at the UF McKnight Brain Institute explored topics including methamphetamine neurotoxicity, second-hand tobacco smoke, self-administration of sugar and drugs, and opioid- and fentanyl-induced anhedonia. [8] [9]

In 2011, Gold was named a University of Florida Distinguished Alumni Professor and served a second term. [10] He retired from full-time academia in 2014 but continues teaching and research as an Emeritus Eminent Scholar at the University of Florida and as a clinical professor at Tulane University and Washington University School of Medicine. [11] He has also served on the National Council for the Washington University School of Medicine Public Health Institute and as a professor at the University of Southern California.

Research contributions and academic work

Gold's research has used laboratory models to study addiction mechanisms associated with drugs, food, and other behaviors, contributing to new treatment methods. His research demonstrated clonidine's effectiveness for opioid withdrawal, [12] marking one of the earliest applications of a non-opioid medication for withdrawal symptoms. [2] He co-authored the dopamine depletion hypothesis for cocaine addiction, offering insights into cocaine's addictive properties. [3] [13]

Gold and colleagues studied how different routes of administration affect cocaine's effects, safety, and misuse potential. His work included studies with Dr. Robert Byck on cocaine pharmacokinetics and documented early patterns of crack use, cocaine-opioid combinations, and other behaviors. In 1983, Gold co-founded a national drug helpline, [14] later expanding its scope in collaboration with the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to include support for cocaine and heroin addiction.

Gold has researched food-related addictive behaviors and co-edited Food and Addiction (2012), [15] examining overeating through an addiction model. He co-chaired the Yale Conference on Food Addiction in 2007.

Other research topics include second-hand tobacco and cannabis smoke, [16] methamphetamine's effects, [17] physician addiction outcomes, behavioral addictions, [18] exercise in neurodegenerative recovery, and treatment-resistant opioid use disorder. [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [25] [26] [27] [28] [29] [30] [31] Recently, Gold has investigated the risks associated with adulterated illicit drugs and advocated for preventive education in response to the overdose crisis. [32] [33] He has edited special issues on addiction medicine in the Journal of the Neurological Sciences and Psychedelic & Interventional Psychiatry. [34]

Honors and recognitions

Gold was the chief scientist for the "Afghanistan National Urban Drug Use Survey," conducted by the U.S. State Department and the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, which studied opium exposure among children in urban Afghanistan. [35] Working with Herbert D. Kleber, Deputy Director for Demand Reduction at the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, he helped develop prevention and treatment programs that incorporated medication in addiction treatment. [36] He has also collaborated with DARE, the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, [37] and the Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse. [38] Gold served on the board of the Betty Ford Center Foundation, [39] focusing on drug use and youth, and was a founding director of the DEA Museum.

Gold's awards include the Addiction Policy Forum Pillar of Excellence Award, [40] the John P. McGovern Award [41] for contributions to public policy and addiction treatment, the National Association Addiction Treatment and Policy Lifetime Achievement Award, and an International Scientist Award from the Chinese National Academy of Sciences. [42] He is a member of Alpha Omega Alpha, the national medical honor society. At the University of Florida, he was recognized as a Donald Dizney Eminent Scholar and University Distinguished Professor, and the White Coat Ceremony at UF College of Medicine was named in his honor. He has received multiple Inventor Awards from UF's Office of Technology Transfer, the UF College of Medicine (COM) Wall of Fame, as well as Exemplary Teaching and Minority Mentoring Awards from the College of Medicine. While a full-time professor, Gold was awarded patents for developing systems to improve patient medication compliance and outcomes, [43] new approaches for overeating treatments, [44] and a detector to identify second-hand tobacco smoke.

Gold was a founding director of Viewray, specializing in MR-guided radiotherapy for oncology, and AxoGen, which develops technologies for peripheral nerve repair. He continues to present research on opioid and cocaine addiction, overdose prevention, and behavioral addictions. Gold serves as Co-Editor of the Encyclopedia of Neurological Sciences and Conn's Therapy sections on addiction and regularly reviews for Current Addiction Reports and Frontiers in Public Health. [45]

He frequently lectures at academic institutions and conferences on addiction topics and has edited recent special issues on addiction medicine and psychedelics in the Journal of the Neurological Sciences . Gold also contributes to public education on addiction through his work on Psychology Today's blog Addiction Outlook, where he advocates for evidence-based treatment, improved access to care, and recognition of addiction as a chronic condition.

References

  1. 1 2 "Gold named chair of UF psychiatry department". UF Health, University of Florida Health. 2009-02-20. Retrieved 2018-11-12.
  2. 1 2 Gold, M. S.; Redmond Jr, D. E.; Kleber, H. D. (1978). "Clonidine blocks acute opiate-withdrawal symptoms". The Lancet. 2 (8090): 599–602. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(78)92823-4. PMID   80526. S2CID   44253698.
  3. 1 2 Dackis, C. A.; Gold, M. S. (1985). "New concepts in cocaine addiction: The dopamine depletion hypothesis". Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews. 9 (3): 469–77. doi:10.1016/0149-7634(85)90022-3. PMID   2999657. S2CID   45936344.
  4. ↑ Pagan, Marion B. "Down Our Street; Drug discovery", The Record , June 23, 1978. Accessed January 1, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "Dr. Mark S. Gold, a psychopharmacologist at the Connecticut Mental Health Center run by Yale University School of Medicine's psychiatry department, has found that Clonidine, a recent drug being prescribed for high blood pressure, prevents withdrawal symptoms in drug addicts. Dr. Gold, a 1967 graduate of Teaneck High School, warned that there are dangerous side effects which make it inadvisable for addicts to use Clonidine."
  5. ↑ M. Avena, Nicole; E. Bocarsly, Miriam; G. Hoebel, Bartley; S. Gold, Mark (2011-09-01). "Overlaps in the Nosology of Substance Abuse and Overeating: The Translational Implications of "Food Addiction"" . Current Drug Abuse Reviews. 4 (3): 133–139. doi: 10.2174/1874473711104030133 . PMID   21999687.
  6. ↑ Rooney, Sonya. "Research Guides: WashU History FAQ: Distinguished Alumni Award Recipients". libguides.wustl.edu. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
  7. ↑ "History: UF College of Medicine Department of Neuroscience » History » Department of Neuroscience » College of Medicine » University of Florida" . Retrieved 2022-01-19.
  8. ↑ Bruijnzeel, Adrie W.; Marcinkiewcz, Catherine; Isaac, Shani; Booth, Matthew M.; Dennis, Donn M.; Gold, Mark S. (2007). "The effects of buprenorphine on fentanyl withdrawal in rats". Psychopharmacology. 191 (4): 931–941. doi:10.1007/s00213-006-0670-2. ISSN   0033-3158. PMID   17211652. S2CID   13388606.
  9. ↑ Avena, N. M.; Potenza, M. N.; Gold, M. S. (2015). "Why are we consuming so much sugar despite knowing too much can harm us?". JAMA Internal Medicine. 175 (1): 145–6. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2014.6968. PMID   25560952.
  10. ↑ "Dr. Mark Gold named UF's Distinguished Alumni Professor". Doctor Gator. Retrieved 2022-01-19.
  11. ↑ "Eminent Scholars | Academic Affairs". University of Florida. Retrieved 2025-05-22.
  12. ↑ Gold, M. S.; Kleber, H. D. (1979). "A rationale for opiate withdrawal symptomatology". Drug and Alcohol Dependence. 4 (5): 419–24. doi:10.1016/0376-8716(79)90074-7. PMID   228923.
  13. ↑ Gold, MS; Washton, AM; Dackis, CA (1987). "The Physiology of Cocaine Craving and 'Crashing'". Archives of General Psychiatry. 44 (3): 298–300. doi:10.1001/archpsyc.1987.01800150122018. PMID   3827524.
  14. ↑ Roehrich, H.; Gold, M. S. (1988). "800-COCAINE: origin, significance, and findings". The Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine. 61 (2): 149–155. ISSN   0044-0086. PMC   2590284 . PMID   3407211.
  15. ↑ "Food for thought: UF researcher's book lays out evidence for food addiction". UF Health, University of Florida Health. 2012-10-03. Retrieved 2022-01-17.
  16. ↑ Bruijnzeel, A. W.; Qi, X.; Guzhva, L. V.; Wall, S.; Deng, J. V.; Gold, M. S.; Febo, M.; Setlow, B. (2016). "Behavioral Characterization of the Effects of Cannabis Smoke and Anandamide in Rats". PLOS ONE. 11 (4) e0153327. Bibcode:2016PLoSO..1153327B. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0153327 . PMC   4827836 . PMID   27065006.
  17. ↑ Thanos, Panayotis K.; Kim, Ronald; Delis, Foteini; Ananth, Mala; Chachati, George; Rocco, Mark J.; Masad, Ihssan; Muniz, Jose A.; Grant, Samuel C. (2017-02-08). "Correction: Chronic Methamphetamine Effects on Brain Structure and Function in Rats". PLOS ONE. 12 (2) e0172080. Bibcode:2017PLoSO..1272080T. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0172080 . ISSN   1932-6203. PMC   5298314 . PMID   28178354.
  18. ↑ Shapira, Nathan A.; Lessig, Mary C.; Goldsmith, Toby D.; Szabo, Steven T.; Lazoritz, Martin; Gold, Mark S.; Stein, Dan J. (2003). "Problematic internet use: Proposed classification and diagnostic criteria". Depression and Anxiety. 17 (4): 207–216. doi: 10.1002/da.10094 . PMID   12820176. S2CID   13044242.
  19. ↑ Gold, Mark S.; Byck, Robert (1978). "Endorphins, lithium and naloxone: their relationship to pathological and drug induced manic euphoric states". Natl Inst Drug Abuse Res Monogr Ser. 19: 192–209.
  20. ↑ Gold, Mark S. (1986-08-08). "Crack" . JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association. 256 (6): 711. doi:10.1001/jama.1986.03380060037008. ISSN   0098-7484. PMID   3723767.
  21. ↑ Swenson, Sabrina; Blum, Kenneth; McLaughlin, Thomas; Gold, Mark S.; Thanos, Panayotis K. (2020-05-15). "The therapeutic potential of exercise for neuropsychiatric diseases: A review" . Journal of the Neurological Sciences. 412 116763. doi: 10.1016/j.jns.2020.116763 . ISSN   0022-510X. PMID   32305746.
  22. ↑ Wolf, David A. Patterson Silver; Gold, Mark (2020-04-15). "Treatment resistant opioid use disorder (TROUD): Definition, rationale, and recommendations" . Journal of the Neurological Sciences. 411 116718. doi:10.1016/j.jns.2020.116718. ISSN   0022-510X. PMID   32078842. S2CID   211029947.
  23. ↑ Gold, Mark S.; Baron, David; Bowirrat, Abdalla; Blum, Kenneth (2020-11-15). "Neurological correlates of brain reward circuitry linked to opioid use disorder (OUD): Do homo sapiens acquire or have a reward deficiency syndrome?". Journal of the Neurological Sciences. 418 117137. doi: 10.1016/j.jns.2020.117137 . ISSN   0022-510X. PMC   7490287 . PMID   32957037.
  24. ↑ Wolf, David A. Patterson Silver; Gold, Mark (2020-04-15). "Treatment resistant opioid use disorder (TROUD): Definition, rationale, and recommendations" . Journal of the Neurological Sciences. 411 116718. doi:10.1016/j.jns.2020.116718. ISSN   0022-510X. PMID   32078842. S2CID   211029947.
  25. ↑ Gold, Mark S. (1986). "Crack". JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association. 256 (6): 711. doi:10.1001/jama.1986.03380060037008. PMID   3723767.
  26. ↑ Gold, Mark S.; Kobeissy, Firas H.; Wang, Kevin K.W.; Merlo, Lisa J.; Bruijnzeel, Adriaan W.; Krasnova, Irina N.; Cadet, Jean Lud (July 2009). "Methamphetamine- and Trauma-Induced Brain Injuries: Comparative Cellular and Molecular Neurobiological Substrates". Biological Psychiatry. 66 (2): 118–127. doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2009.02.021. PMC   2810951 . PMID   19345341.
  27. ↑ Sekine, Y.; Ouchi, Y.; Sugihara, G.; Takei, N.; Yoshikawa, E.; Nakamura, K.; Iwata, Y.; Tsuchiya, K. J.; Suda, S. (2008-05-28). "Methamphetamine Causes Microglial Activation in the Brains of Human Abusers". Journal of Neuroscience. 28 (22): 5756–5761. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1179-08.2008 . ISSN   0270-6474. PMC   2491906 . PMID   18509037.
  28. ↑ Blum, Kenneth; Cadet, Jean Lud; Gold, Mark S. (January 2021). "Psychostimulant use disorder emphasizing methamphetamine and the opioid -dopamine connection: Digging out of a hypodopaminergic ditch". Journal of the Neurological Sciences. 420 117252. doi: 10.1016/j.jns.2020.117252 . ISSN   0022-510X. PMID   33279726.
  29. ↑ DuPont, Robert L.; McLellan, A. Thomas; White, William L.; Merlo, Lisa J.; Gold, Mark S. (2009). "Setting the standard for recovery: Physicians' Health Programs". Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment. 36 (2): 159–171. doi: 10.1016/j.jsat.2008.01.004 . ISSN   0740-5472. PMID   19161896.
  30. ↑ Merlo, Lisa J.; Gold, Mark S. (2008). "Prescription Opioid Abuse and Dependence Among Physicians: Hypotheses and Treatment". Harvard Review of Psychiatry. 16 (3): 181–194. doi:10.1080/10673220802160316. ISSN   1067-3229. PMID   18569039.
  31. ↑ Washton, Arnold M.; Gold, Mark S.; Pottash, A. Carter (1984). "Successful Use of Naltrexone in Addicted Physicians and Business Executives". Advances in Alcohol & Substance Abuse. 4 (2): 89–96. doi:10.1300/j251v04n02_08. ISSN   0270-3106. PMID   6524509.
  32. ↑ Thom, Browne; Mark, S. Gold; David, M. Martin (2021-02-28). "The Rapidly Changing Composition of the Global Street Drug Supply and Its Effects on High-Risk Groups for COVID-19" . Current Psychopharmacology. 10 (2): 138–154. doi: 10.2174/2211556010666210125124645 . S2CID   234003033 . Retrieved 2021-05-18.
  33. ↑ "Adulterants in street drugs could increase susceptibility to COVID". www.mdedge.com. Retrieved 2021-05-18.
  34. ↑ "Journal of the Neurological Sciences | Psychedelic & Interventional Psychiatry | ScienceDirect.com by Elsevier". www.sciencedirect.com. Retrieved 2022-01-25.
  35. ↑ Cottler, Linda B; Ajinkya, Shaun; Goldberger, Bruce A; Ghani, Mohammad Asrar; Martin, David M; Hu, Hui; Gold, Mark S (2014). "Prevalence of drug and alcohol use in urban Afghanistan: Epidemiological data from the Afghanistan National Urban Drug Use Study (ANUDUS)". The Lancet Global Health. 2 (10): e592–600. doi: 10.1016/S2214-109X(14)70290-6 . PMID   25304635.
  36. ↑ "US Patent Application for MEDICATION ADHERENCE MONITORING SYSTEM Patent Application (Application #20180017569 issued January 18, 2018) - Justia Patents Search". patents.justia.com. Retrieved 2022-01-17.
  37. ↑ Gardner, Christopher. "D.A.R.E. America to honor Yale Psychiatry alumnus". medicine.yale.edu. Retrieved 2021-10-05.
  38. ↑ "Addiction Medicine: Closing the Gap between Science and Practice" (PDF). The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University. 2012.
  39. ↑ Betty Ford Institute Consensus Panel (2007-10-01). "What is recovery? A working definition from the Betty Ford Institute". Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment. 33 (3): 221–228. doi:10.1016/j.jsat.2007.06.001. ISSN   0740-5472. PMID   17889294. S2CID   28965783.
  40. ↑ "2019 Awards Dinner". Adiction Policy Forum. 2019-06-25. Retrieved 2025-05-22.
  41. ↑ "Mark Gold, MD, FASAM, Wins John P. McGovern Award". www.asam.org. Retrieved 2018-11-12.
  42. ↑ "The McKnight Brain Institute congratulates Mark S. Gold, M.D. on receiving the award for Distinguished International Scientist » McKnight Brain Institute » University of Florida". UFHealth. Retrieved 2019-07-29.
  43. ↑ "US Patent Application for MEDICATION ADHERENCE MONITORING SYSTEM Patent Application (Application #20180017569 issued January 18, 2018) - Justia Patents Search". patents.justia.com. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
  44. ↑ "US Patent for Compositions for controlling food intake and uses therefor Patent (Patent # 9,610,285 issued April 4, 2017) - Justia Patents Search". patents.justia.com. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
  45. ↑ "Encyclopedia of the Neurological Sciences". ScienceDirect. Retrieved 2025-05-22.
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