Campbell/Spillane Substance Use Research - Interview with Donald Jasinski

Abstract

Donald R. Jasinski Sr., MD is Professor of Medicine, Emeritus, at Johns Hopkins University and an expert in addiction medicine. He founded Johns Hopkins’ chemical dependency program in 1978 and co-authored the first paper to identify buprenorphine as a potential aid in treating people with existing opioid addictions. Sources: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donald-jasinski-10848453 Accessed 12 Mar 2023. https://www.hopkinscim.org/breakthrough/holiday-2017/breaking-cycle-opioid-dependence/ Accessed 12 Mar 2023 Added note by Carol Boyd on Dec 29, 2023. Donald R. Jasinski, MD died on Nov. 25, 2023, at age 85. Don was an internationally recognized expert in substance abuse, especially the evaluation of abuse liability of new drugs, and a longtime member of the CPDD. He spent 20 years at the NIMH (then NIDA) Addiction Research Center from 1965 -1985. Initially in Lexington, KY, he served as a Medical Officer, then advanced to Section Chief and Director. During the relocation of the ARC he moved to Baltimore and served as the Scientific Director of the Baltimore laboratory from 1981-1985. He did important pioneering work in exploring the clinical pharmacology of drugs of substance use disorder (SUD) and significantly advancing the methodology for evaluation of SUD liability. He was among the first to suggest the use of buprenorphine for treatment of opiate use disorder and present data to support that proposal. After his retirement from the US Public Health Service and the ARC in 1985 he joined the faculty of Johns Hopkins Medical School, becoming a Professor of Medicine and continuing his clinical pharmacology research and treatment of substance use disorders. Don was an active member of CPDD, making many presentations at the annual meeting, serving on the Board of Directors, and becoming a Founding Fellow when CPDD became a credentialed member organization. He was a devoted husband to Diane for 59 years and a loving and caring father and grandfather to 4 children and their spouses and 10 grandchildren. He will be remembered and missed by his large family and many friends and colleagues.