Welcome to GAB 2026

In the vibrant city of Boston an epicenter of innovation, history, and scholarly excellence. Boston is home to world-renowned universities and research institutions like Harvard University, MIT, Boston University, and Harvard Medical School, fostering cutting-edge research in psychology, neuroscience, and addiction studies. As we prepare to gather for the 7th Edition of the Global Conference on Addiction Medicine, Behavioral Health, and Psychiatry, we invite you to join us from October 19-21, 2026, in person or virtually. This hybrid event, themed "Innovating Pathways: Transforming Addiction Medicine and Behavioral Health", promises a dynamic platform for collaboration among leading psychiatrists, psychologists, neuroscientists, clinicians, policymakers, and industry pioneers from around the world. Whether you're here to share insights, forge new partnerships,  gain cutting-edge knowledge, GAB 2026 offers unparalleled opportunities for professional growth and meaningful dialogue. After the conference, enjoy the allure of Boston's seaside charm or take a scenic trip to Cape Cod for a memorable escape. We look forward to welcoming you to this transformative event in the heart of Boston!

Welcome Esteemed Colleagues and Guests

It is with heartfelt enthusiasm that I welcome you to the 7th Global Conference on Addiction Medicine, Behavioral Health, and Psychiatry, held in the vibrant city of Boston, Massachusetts. As we gather in a time marked by growing mental health needs, substance use challenges, and behavioral complexities, the importance of collaborative, interdisciplinary dialogue has never been more critical. This year’s program offers a rich tapestry of sessions addressing key areas such as addiction science, mental health diagnostics and treatment innovations, neurobiological underpinnings of addictive behaviors, public health frameworks, therapeutic modalities, and cutting-edge clinical research. Each presentation is crafted to foster meaningful exchange and inspire forward-thinking solutions. Whether you are an emerging scholar, seasoned clinician, dedicated researcher, or academic leader, this conference provides a dynamic platform to deepen your expertise, connect with peers, and contribute to the evolving landscape of mental health and addiction care.

We are honored to welcome participants and visitors to GAB 2026

We are honored to welcome participants and visitors to GAB 2026, a global gathering of experts and ideas surrounding Addiction Medicine, Behavioral Health and Psychiatry. We are excited to present our latest research exploring neurobiological fundamentals of cognition, consciousness and behaviour.  New findings regarding the default mode network (DMN) have provided a new perspective in understanding brain function, the nature of consciousness, and behaviour. Frequently overlapping and including nuclei of the limbic system, the DMN is a distributed and integrated network of brain areas originally shown to be suppressed when people focus on external stimuli.

Through consideration of ‘hot’ and ‘cold’ decision making processes, we will illustrate how environmentally impacted mechanisms and bias in internal/external switching mechanisms in the DMN affect mental wellness and life course.

We hope you will be inspired by our new research and that of other experts at the conference.

Excited to Share the Three-Second NeuroShift™ at GAB 2026

I’m Edie Raether, Behavioral Strategist and creator of NeuroShifts™ and the Three-Second NeuroShift™—a rapid, neuroscience-based method designed for real-time behavioral interruption and regulation.

In mental health and addiction treatment, we often see the gap between insight and action—when patients know what to do, but can’t access it in the moment. My work focuses on that exact gap, offering a simple three-second micro-intervention that helps interrupt automatic patterns, stabilize emotional responses, and support identity-based change.

The networking opportunities at GAB open doors to connections that matter for together we all have greater impact.  I’m especially interested in collaborating with clinicians and treatment leaders who are looking for practical, in-the-moment tools that can enhance outcomes. 

For conference

The 2026 Global Conference on Addiction Medicine, Behavioral Health and Psychiatry brings together worldwide expertise and best practices for you to apply to your practices. Join in the vast array of practitioners, academics, researchers, and entrepreneurs towards the goal of enrichment of information. Apply to present and/or attend either in person or virtually. Like past GAB conferences, this year’s offerings are sure to meet your interest and needs.

Dear Congress attendees of GAB 2026

It is my great pleasure to share my passion for developing effective substance use disorder interventions. Traditional cognitive-behavioral therapies have dominated the addiction treatment field in our century and have informed treatment programs detached from the existential aspects of forming meaning and finding purpose. A sustainable individual health program would encourage the development of a Self-concept capable of providing a sense of dignity and self-respect, strengthening its core dimensions by internalizing humanistic principles, and finding purpose above and beyond self-indulgence and reward-seeking. I am especially excited that this international forum offers all of us opportunities to compare cultural perspectives in intervening with substance use and better understanding the factors determining why some societies develop a more intense “appetite” for substance use than others.

I very much look forward to discussing these factors together with you, dear attendees!

Greetings and welcome to all for the 2026 GAB Conference

This, to me, is an honor and privilege to share research ideas, examine others’ research, and both teach and learn from others. It is extremely helpful to all to collaborate on given fields and areas to get better equipped going forward in the battle to prevent and treat addiction.

In my third year of attending the conference, I am looking forward to reconnecting with others and making new connections as well. I cannot express the excitement enough because no matter what I bring to the conference, I go home richer in knowledge than when I arrived.

I welcome you to GAB 2026

A major opportunity to share, learn, teach, be taught, and grow. It is a unique forum where international experts gather to talk about the latest scientific findings and understanding in the multidisciplinary areas of addiction, psychology, psychiatry, mental health, and wellness.

Currently, there are estimated eight billion humans living and co-inhabiting the Earth. This includes you and me, our children, parents, siblings, and extended relatives, those we love and care about, those we need, and those who need us, those we know, and those we do not know, including people who live in faraway places and only hear about in the news. These people (i.e., eight billion of us) are the subjects of interest and for what reasons international experts (with different talents, skills, education, training, and certifications) gather together to talk at GAB. 

Dear Fellow Colleagues

I am grateful for this opportunity to welcome you to the GAB 2026 conference on addiction. As you know, addiction is something of a national affliction given its preeminence as a social disruptor and a chief cause of death among the country’s youth. The role of research in overcoming this scourge is indispensable, whether basic, clinical, or public health, a role furthered by professional exchanges like the one occurring here at GAB2026. Insights into the biological, sociological, and psychiatric factors surrounding addiction that emerge from this conference will provide direction for its prevention in susceptible populations and diminished recidivism in those previously addicted. Thanks to research in each of these spheres, the prospect for a significant reduction in addiction is much improved from even a decade ago. I look forward to hearing your presentations, and learning of the insights they offer to address this national scourge.

7th Edition of Global Conference on Addiction Medicine, Behavioral Health and Psychiatry October 19-21, 2026 | Boston, Massachusetts, USA

I am excited to be here. It is an honor to stand in a room full of people who willingly chose one of the few professions where a "normal day" may not be a thing. This conference is not only about research, protocols, or the latest three-letter acronym you may pretend you love. It is about people. Messy people. Brilliant people. People not fitting neatly into flowcharts.

Over the next few days, I invite you to challenge assumptions, share what actually works, and maybe admit, out loud, that the textbook did not always get the memo. Take what is useful. Question the rest. Compare notes. Steal good ideas shamelessly. And do not forget to laugh.

Humor is often the last tool standing when everything else taps out. Your work matters. Your presence matters. And the fact that you are also here choosing to learn, connect, and keep showing up matters.

I am pleased to present our findings at the GAB 2026 conference

I am pleased to present our findings at the GAB 2026 conference. The attendees at the conference, who come from all over the world, will be presented with research findings that suggest ways to make the hard work of physicians more efficient. The study examined whether and how Balint training might help medical students become more empathic and whether self-efficacy increases after training in the technique. Balint training is designed to help develop a therapeutic doctor-patient relationship that humanizes the practice of medicine for both the patient and doctor (Eby, 2018). The importance of the study findings is that it sheds light on the effectiveness of Balint as a tool for improving empathy and self-efficacy. In addition, it seems that it is appropriate to adapt the tools and training for developing empathy skills according to the different personality traits of the students and to develop different training programs according to those personality traits. Thus, it is of great importance to conduct future research in this area to learn how to best train each student while taking into consideration each one’s personality characteristics. As such, it may be possible to reduce objections and difficulties in doctor-patient relationship studies. 

Dear Congress visitors

It is a pleasure to share with you one of the most surprising things I’ve experienced in my 54 years of practice.  As clinicians, we know how important it is to listen and use our insights with our patients.  What I first heard was so subtle, I almost missed it: in my work with Bulimic women, they made quiet references to their siblings.  Once I allowed myself to hear what they were saying, I began asking questions – lots of questions.  The onset and their recovery often had something to do with a brother or sister.  At first it made no sense, then I began to see a pattern.  I am excited to share with you this pattern that I have come to call “Unhealthy Sibling Loyalty.”

Dear Conference Members of GAB 2026

I am thrilled to be asked to speak at the 7^th Edition of the global conference on addiction medicine, behavioral health and psychiatry in Boston, this October 2026. The theme Innovating Pathways: Transforming Addiction Medicine and Behavioral Health is so relevant to cutting-edge applications from the genomic era of precision addiction medicine and the new sciences of psychiatric and psychological genomics.  The Reward Deficiency Syndrome paradigm is beautifully illustrated through the Elle Foundation Research 100 series of family genomic case study. I am excited to share the updates and their meaning for improved patient recovery success. I also look forward to hearing from the international community dedicated to improving patient experience and increasing recovery success.