Dr. Wilson M. Compton serves as the Deputy Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) of the National Institutes of Health. NIDA supports most of the world’s research on the health aspects of drug abuse and addiction related to preventing drug abuse, treating addiction and addressing the serious health consequences of drug abuse, including related HIV/AIDS and other health conditions.
In his current role, Dr. Compton’s responsibilities include providing scientific leadership in the development, implementation, and management of NIDA’s research portfolio and working with the Director to support and conduct research to improve the prevention and treatment of drug abuse and addiction.
Before joining NIDA, Dr. Compton was Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Director of the Master in Psychiatric Epidemiology Program at Washington University in Saint Louis as well as Medical Director of Addiction Services at the Barnes-Jewish Hospital in Saint Louis. Dr. Compton received his undergraduate education from Amherst College. He attended medical school and completed his residency training in psychiatry at Washington University.
He is a member of numerous professional organizations and is a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha honor society.
Dr. Compton is the recipient of multiple awards and in 2008, he received the Senior Scholar Health Services Research Award from the American Psychiatric Association, in 2010 the Paul Hoch Award from the American Psychopathological Association, in both 2012 and 2013, he was selected to receive the Leveraging Collaboration Award from the Food and Drug Administration.
In 2013, Dr. Compton received the prestigious Health and Human Services Secretary’s Award for Meritorious Service.
