Harriet de Wit

About

Professor Harriet de Wit directs the Human Behavioral Pharmacology Laboratory (HBPL), which focuses on investigating the effects of psychoactive drugs in human volunteers. The laboratory studies the determinants and consequences of drug use by measuring the drugs' effects on physiology, behavior, and subjective state. Under her leadership, the HBPL operates at the intersection of human behavior and pharmacology, aiming to understand how psychoactive substances influence various aspects of human functioning.

Research topics

• Psychiatry
• Medicine
• Biology
• Genetics
• Psychology
• Chemistry

Selected publications

• A large-scale genome-wide association study meta-analysis of cannabis use disorder

  The Lancet Psychiatry · 2020 · 375 citations

  BACKGROUND: Variation in liability to cannabis use disorder has a strong genetic component (estimated twin and family heritability about 50-70%) and is associated with negative outcomes, including increased risk of psychopathology. The aim of the study was to conduct a large genome-wide association study (GWAS) to identify novel genetic variants associated with cannabis use disorder. METHODS: To conduct this GWAS meta-analysis of cannabis use disorder and identify associations with genetic loci,…

  DOI

• The mesocorticolimbic system in stimulant use disorder

  Molecular Psychiatry · 2025-09-10 · 3 citations

  reviewOpen accessSenior author

  Stimulant Use Disorder (StUD) is a pervasive and extremely dangerous form of addiction for which there are currently no approved medications. Discovering treatments will require a deep understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying the behavioral effects of stimulant drugs. A major target is the mesocorticolimbic system. Individual differences in mesocorticolimbic function can influence the propensity to initiate stimulant use and the risk for stimulant use disorders. Since repeated stimulant…

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Effects of methamphetamine on two measures of reward: Euphoria and neural activation to reward cues

  Neuropsychopharmacology · 2025-04-23 · 3 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Stimulants enhance dopamine function, affecting diverse aspects of reward function from neural processing of reward cues to feelings of well-being in humans. However, little is known about the relationships among different measures of reward function. Understanding relationships among different indices of reward processing could provide insight into the processes that control motivated behavior. The present study examined the effects of a single dose of methamphetamine on two measures of reward…

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Methamphetamine modulates functional connectivity signatures of sustained attention and arousal

  bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · 2025-05-21 · 1 citations

  preprintOpen access

  Building on evidence that psychostimulants modulate whole-brain functional connectivity signatures of sustained attention, we examined how a single dose of methamphetamine (MA, 20 mg) changes network-level functional organization and sustained attention in healthy adults. Using a within-subject, placebo-controlled design, we tested whether MA selectively affects behavioral and fMRI connectivity signatures of sustained attention and arousal. Under MA, participants showed improved sustained attent…

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• The empathogen 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, but not methamphetamine, increases feelings of global trust

  Journal of Psychopharmacology · 2025-09-16 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  Background: The empathogen and psychostimulant 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is thought to boost both subjective well-being and social connection. Although MDMA is considered to enhance social connection to a greater extent than other stimulant drugs, few studies have compared MDMA to other stimulants. In addition, previous studies have focused on social positivity effects (e.g., increased trust) for specific in-lab interaction partners without considering more generalized social posi…

  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• Acquisition and persistence of drug cue conditioning in humans

  NIH · $2.3M · 2014–2021

• NIH Grant R21DA020773

  NIH · $418k · 2010

• NIH Grant R21DA031796

  NIH · $411k · 2016

Frequent coauthors

• Thomas Steckler

  4717 shared

• Robert L. Balster

  4273 shared

• Klaus A. Miczek

  4216 shared

• Jos Prickaerts

  Maastricht University

  3736 shared

• Craig A. Erickson

  Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center

  3548 shared

• Kimberly A. Stigler

  Indiana University School of Medicine

  3548 shared

• Christopher J. McDougle

  Massachusetts General Hospital

  3547 shared

• David J. Posey

  Indiana University School of Medicine

  3520 shared

Education

• Ph.D., Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience

  University of Chicago

  1990

• M.A., Psychology

  University of Chicago

  1985

• B.A., Psychology

  University of Chicago

  1982

Awards & honors

• Solvay Award for Outstanding Basic Psychopharmacological Res…
• Marian W. Fischman Memorial Lectureship Award, College of Pr…
• Distinguished Lecturer, Elizabeth Fitzgerald Sporar Endowmen…
• Distinguished Achievement Award, European Behavioural Pharma…
• Lifetime Achievement Award, Research Society on Alcoholism (…

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