NPR and other media report on the work of associate professor Hugh Garavan, senior author of a study published in the journal Nature that examined the underlying causes behind teenage binge drinking by taking brain scans of approximately 700 14-year-olds and then following up on behavior two years later. The study identified a variety of factors that can cause a propensity towards alcohol abuse, from having a thrill-seeking personality to brain structure type. While more research is needed, we’re “one step closer to understanding the roots of addiction,” according to Garavan. Read the story…