The Transdiagnostic Addiction Laboratory (TALab) is an addiction research lab in the Department of Psychology at the University of Calgary, directed by Dr. Igor Yakovenko. We study the factors that influence the development, maintenance and treatment of substance use and behavioural addictions such as gambling and video gaming, with a particular interest in how addiction co-occurs with other mental health conditions.
We are interested in understanding the mechanisms of how individuals and populations develop and recover from addiction, with a focus on cannabis, alcohol use, gambling, and video gaming.
In collaboration with the Canadian Research Initiative in Substance Matters (CRISM), we are developing a comprehensive evidence-based online platform for screening, self-management and referral to treatment for individuals curious about their substance use habits.
A large part of our research investigates the co-occurrence and interaction of addiction and other mental health disorders with the goal of accounting for real-world conditions where most individuals struggle with multiple comorbid disorders.
