Laura Bierut
Alumni Endowed Professor of Psychiatry
- Phone: 314-286-1700
- Email: laura@nospam.wustl.edu
Additional Titles & Roles
- Vice Chair for Faculty Development, Psychiatry Department
- Leader of Precision Medicine Function, Institute of Clinical and Translational Sciences
Education & Training
- Residency: Washington University, St. Louis, MO, 1991
- M.D.: Washington University in St Louis, 1987
- B.A.: Harvard University, 1982
Major Awards
- Langley Award for Basic Research on Nicotine and Tobacco, 2018
- The Alton Ochsner Award Relating Smoking and Disease, 2014
- WUSM Distinguished Educator Postdoctoral Research Mentoring Award, 2012
- International Brain Research Organization Award,
- Washington University Book Award,
- Sidney I. Schwab Prize in Psychiatry,
Areas of Clinical Interest
Smoking behavior, substance use disorder, genetically informed clinical care
Research Interests
As a physician scientist, I have led several studies funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study environmental and genetic contributions to smoking behaviors, addiction and other psychiatric and medical illnesses. I am an active member in the NIDA Genetics Consortium, a national group of scientists who are leading NIDA’s efforts to understand genetic causes of substance dependence. My research group conducted the initial studies which found that the a5 nicotinic receptor subunit genes on chromosome 15 and the a6ß3 nicotinic receptor subunit genes on chromosome 8 increase a smoker’s risk for nicotine dependence. In collaboration with other groups, we have since demonstrated that the same genetic variants that contribute to smoking in the chromosome 15 region also influence the development of lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. We are currently exploring how to translate genetic information to guide more effective clinical care. We have ongoing studies of genetic factors and smoking cessation treatment.
Lab website: https://healthbehaviorcenter.wustl.edu
Recent Publications
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Correction to: Buprenorphine and postpartum contraception utilization among people with opioid use disorder: a multi-state analysis (Addiction Science & Clinical Practice, (2025), 20, 1, (1), 10.1186/s13722-024-00530-1)
Xu, K. Y., Bello, J. K., Buss, J., Jones, H. E., Bierut, L. J., Stwalley, D., Szlyk, H. S., Martin, C. E., Kelly, J. C., Carter, E. B., Krans, E. E. & Grucza, R. A., Dec 2025, In: Addiction Science and Clinical Practice. 20, 1, 24.
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Buprenorphine and postpartum contraception utilization among people with opioid use disorder: a multi-state analysis
Xu, K. Y., Bello, J. K., Buss, J., Jones, H. E., Bierut, L. J., Stwalley, D., Szlyk, H. S., Martin, C. E., Kelly, J. C., Carter, E. B., Krans, E. E. & Grucza, R. A., Dec 2025, In: Addiction Science and Clinical Practice. 20, 1, 1.
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Gene expression differences associated with alcohol use disorder in human brain
Willis, C., White, J. D., Minto, M. S., Quach, B. C., Han, S., Tao, R., Shin, J. H., Deep-Soboslay, A., Hyde, T. M., Mayfield, R. D., Webb, B. T., Johnson, E. O., Kleinman, J. E., Bierut, L. J. & Hancock, D. B., Apr 2025, In: Molecular Psychiatry. 30, 4, p. 1617-1626 10 p., 89.
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Time to Act on a Growing Public Health Threat – Evidence of Elevated Mortality in Cannabis Use Disorder
Bierut, L. J. & Fang, F., Feb 6 2025, In: JAMA Network Open. 8, 2, e2457781.
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Correction to: Multivariate analysis of 1.5 million people identifies genetic associations with traits related to self-regulation and addiction (Nature Neuroscience, (2021), 24, 10, (1367-1376), 10.1038/s41593-021-00908-3)
COGA Collaborators, Jan 2025, In: Nature neuroscience. 28, 1, p. 213 1 p.