Elias Dakwar, MD

  • Associate Professor of Clinical Psychiatry

Overview

Elias Dakwar is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University and a practicing psychiatrist, working primarily with people suffering from addiction. He has been investigating novel treatments for addiction for nearly two decades, with a focus on combining contemplative practices, medicines, and psychotherapy to address substance abuse disorders. He has a broader interest in the impact of contemplative and non-ordinary experience on well-being, as well as the relational, communal, and structural factors in human suffering.

Academic Appointments

  • Associate Professor of Clinical Psychiatry

Gender

  • Male

Credentials & Experience

Education & Training

  • MD, Creighton Medical School
  • Internship: University of Chicago
  • Residency: University of Chicago
  • Fellowship: Columbia University

Research

Grants

Present

RO1-AA058482-01 9/1/19 –

Grant funding recipient

NIAAA

Funding for “The role of brief potent glutamatergic modulation in addressing problem drinking: a randomized, controlled trial.”

Role: Principal Investigator

1R01-DA042070-01A1

Grant funding recipient 9/1/17 –

Funding for “Glutamatergic Modulation to Facilitate Naltrexone Initiation: A Randomized, Controlled trial.”

Role: Principal Investigator

Past

U01-DA040647-01A1

Grant funding recipient 5/15/17 – 5/30/24

NIDA

Funding for “Pharmacological Facilitation of Behavioral Modification for Cocaine Use Disorders."

Role: Principal Investigator

1R21-AA023010

Grant funding recipient 7/1/14 – 6/30/17

NIAAA

Funding for "Brief Potent Glutamatergic Modulation to Address Alcohol Use Disorder"

Role: Principal Investigator

1R21-DA035472

Grant funding recipient 5/1/13 – 4/30/15

NIDA

Funding for “The effect of glutamatergic modulation on cocaine self-administration.”

Role: Principal Investigator

1K23-DA031771-06

Grant Funding Recipient 9/30/11 – 10/1/17

NIDA

Funding for “Brief Potent Glutamatergic Modulation: Applications for Cocaine Dependence.”

The purpose of this K23 is to integrate laboratory and clinical trials research with the candidate’s interest in developing innovative treatments for substance use disorders.

Role: Principal Investigator

P50-DA009236-17 (Kleber)

Pilot Funding Recipient 4/01/09 – 08/10/10

NIDA

Funding for “The effects of mindfulness-based meditation on cocaine and/or cannabis dependence.”

Role: Principal Investigator

Selected Publications

  1. Franco Corso SJ, O'Malley KY, Subaiya S, Mayall D, Dakwar E. The role of non-ordinary states of consciousness occasioned by mind-body practices in mental health illness. J Affect Disord. 2023 Aug 15;335:166-176. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.04.116. Epub 2023 May 6. PMID: 37150220.
  2. Azhari N, Hu H, O'Malley KY, Blocker ME, Levin FR, Dakwar E. Ketamine-facilitated behavioral treatment for cannabis use disorder: A proof of concept study. Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse. 2021 Jan 2;47(1):92-97. doi: 10.1080/00952990.2020.1808982. Epub 2020 Nov 11. PMID: 33175580.
  3. Dakwar E, Hart CL, Levin FR, Nunes EV, Foltin RW. Cocaine self-administration disrupted by the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist ketamine: a randomized, crossover trial. Mol Psychiatry. 2017 Jan;22(1):76-81. doi: 10.1038/mp.2016.39. Epub 2016 Apr 19. PMID: 27090301; PMCID: PMC5435123.
  4. Rothberg RL, Azhari N, Haug NA, Dakwar E. Mystical-type experiences occasioned by ketamine mediate its impact on at-risk drinking: Results from a randomized, controlled trial. J Psychopharmacol. 2021 Feb;35(2):150-158. doi: 10.1177/0269881120970879. Epub 2020 Dec 13. PMID: 33307947.
  5. Dakwar E, Nunes EV, Hart CL, Foltin RW, Mathew SJ, Carpenter KM, Choi CJJ, Basaraba CN, Pavlicova M, Levin FR. A Single Ketamine Infusion Combined With Mindfulness-Based Behavioral Modification to Treat Cocaine Dependence: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Am J Psychiatry. 2019 Nov 1;176(11):923-930. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2019.18101123. Epub 2019 Jun 24. PMID: 31230464.
  6. Dakwar E, Levin F, Hart CL, Basaraba C, Choi J, Pavlicova M, Nunes EV. A Single Ketamine Infusion Combined With Motivational Enhancement Therapy for Alcohol Use Disorder: A Randomized Midazolam-Controlled Pilot Trial. Am J Psychiatry. 2020 Feb 1;177(2):125-133. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2019.19070684. Epub 2019 Dec 2. PMID: 31786934.