Sherry McKee, PhD
Albert E. Kent Professor of PsychiatryDownloadHi-Res Photo
Cards
Appointments
Psychiatry
Primary
Additional Titles
Director, Yale Behavioral Pharmacology Laboratory
Clinical Director, Forensic Drug Diversion Clinic
Director, Yale SCORE Program for Sex Differences in Alcohol Use Disorder, Psychiatry
Contact Info
Appointments
Psychiatry
Primary
Additional Titles
Director, Yale Behavioral Pharmacology Laboratory
Clinical Director, Forensic Drug Diversion Clinic
Director, Yale SCORE Program for Sex Differences in Alcohol Use Disorder, Psychiatry
Contact Info
Appointments
Psychiatry
Primary
Additional Titles
Director, Yale Behavioral Pharmacology Laboratory
Clinical Director, Forensic Drug Diversion Clinic
Director, Yale SCORE Program for Sex Differences in Alcohol Use Disorder, Psychiatry
Contact Info
About
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Titles
Albert E. Kent Professor of Psychiatry
Director, Yale Behavioral Pharmacology Laboratory; Clinical Director, Forensic Drug Diversion Clinic; Director, Yale SCORE Program for Sex Differences in Alcohol Use Disorder, Psychiatry
Biography
Dr. Sherry McKee is a Professor of Psychiatry at the Yale Medical School, Director of the Yale Behavioral Pharmacology Laboratory, and Clinical Director of the Forensic Drug Diversion Clinic. Dr. McKee directs a translational program of research focused on treatment development for addictive disorders, with an emphasis on women and more recently criminal justice populations. Her work spans clinical trials, behavioral pharmacology, survey research, and epidemiological research to uncover mechanisms underlying poor outcomes and to translate these finding into improved interventions. Dr. McKee has directed large NIH-funded efforts (P50-ORWH/NIDA; P01-ORWH/NIAAA) focused on developing effective medications for addictive behaviors which are responsive to sex differences. Dr. McKee currently leads the Yale-SCORE on Sex Differences in Alcohol Use Disorder (U54AA027989, ORWH/NIAAA). For this effort, she directs an interdisciplinary team conducting translational cross-species research focused on expediting the development of therapeutics for alcohol use disorder, mentoring junior faculty, and providing a national resource on women and alcohol. Dr. McKee, with in partnership with the of Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Service and the Connecticut Department of Correction has developed an integrated system of addiction care for adults returning to their communities following incarceration.
Last Updated on March 26, 2025.
Appointments
Psychiatry
ProfessorPrimary
Other Departments & Organizations
- Cancer Prevention and Control
- Center for Nicotine and Tobacco Use Research at Yale (CENTURY)
- Connecticut Mental Health Center
- Division of Addictions
- Division of Law and Psychiatry
- Division of Substance Abuse
- Division of Women's Behavioral Health Research
- Neuroscience Research Training Program (NRTP)
- Psychiatry
- Psychology Section
- Psychotherapy Development Center
- Stress & Addiction Clinical Research Program
- Yale Behavioral Pharmacology Laboratory
- Yale Cancer Center
- Yale Medicine
- Yale Translational Center to Develop Gender-Sensitive Treatment for Tobacco Dependence
- Yale Ventures
Education & Training
- PhD
- University of Western Ontario, Clinical Psychology (1999)
- Fellow
- Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, CT. (1999)
Research
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Overview
Medical Research Interests
Alcohol-Related Disorders; Criminal Psychology; Psychiatry and Psychology; Substance-Related Disorders; Tobacco Use Disorder
ORCID
0000-0001-8185-9201
Publications
2025
Genotype‐by‐sex interaction analyses for alcohol use disorder across biobanks
Zhou H, Wang L, Mao Z, Deans P, Kember R, Chen Q, Zakiniaeiz Y, Kohler R, Peltier M, Verplaetse T, Program V, Potenza M, Brennand K, Justice A, Kranzler H, Gelernter J, McKee S. Genotype‐by‐sex interaction analyses for alcohol use disorder across biobanks. Alcohol Clinical And Experimental Research 2025 PMID: 41017299, DOI: 10.1111/acer.70173.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsExpression quantitative trait lociAlcohol use disorderMillion Veteran ProgramGenotype-by-sexSingle-nucleotide polymorphismsAlcohol use disorder casesAncestry samplesGenetic basisCross-ancestry meta-analysisUse disorderQuantitative trait lociAfrican ancestry samplesPhenome-wide association analysisAlcohol use disorder riskHistory of alcohol addictionSelf-reported historyCross-ancestryTrait lociGenetic variationAssociation analysisMultiple genesLociAlcohol addictionExpression changesBiological underpinningsEmpirical Derivation and Prediction of Treatment Trajectories in Harmonized AUD Clinical Trial Datasets
Kohler R, Zakiniaeiz Y, Verplaetse T, Chavez C, Peltier M, Zhou H, McKee S, Roberts W. Empirical Derivation and Prediction of Treatment Trajectories in Harmonized AUD Clinical Trial Datasets. Addiction Biology 2025, 30: e70069. PMID: 40700031, PMCID: PMC12285684, DOI: 10.1111/adb.70069.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsAlcohol use disorderTreatment response phenotypesAlcohol use disorder treatmentTreatment response trajectoriesAUD-related phenotypesFollow-up analysisBaseline drinkingPhase of treatmentUse disorderAlcohol consumption patternsPhase 2 randomized clinical trialDrinking dataResponse trajectoriesAlcohol usePatient responsePhase 3 trialResponse phenotypesExploratory analysisAlcohol consumptionTreatment trajectoryDrinking ratesNIAAANo significant differenceMild drinkersPatient's clinical needsSex differences in the impact of social determinants of health on substance use disorder treatment outcomes
Chavez C, Peltier M, McKee S. Sex differences in the impact of social determinants of health on substance use disorder treatment outcomes. Biology Of Sex Differences 2025, 16: 56. PMID: 40696464, PMCID: PMC12281950, DOI: 10.1186/s13293-025-00734-3.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsSubstance use disordersPredictors of substance useSubstance usePoor treatment outcomesSocial determinants of healthDeterminants of healthUse disorderTreatment outcomesHousing instabilityTreatment programsPolysubstance useSubstance use disorder treatment outcomesSeverity of substance useTreatment Episode Data Set-DischargesSocial determinantsSubstance use disorder treatment programsAssociated with poor treatment outcomesTreatment non-completionCriminal justice involvementSubstance use treatmentClinical severity indicatorsSex-specific effectsMental health conditionsClinical severity factorsNon-abstinenceConcomitant treatment of alcohol associated liver disease and alcohol use disorder in the nontransplant setting: A scoping review
Fathma S, McKee S, Grimshaw A, Boateng S, Fiellin D, Haque L, Mehal W, Banini B. Concomitant treatment of alcohol associated liver disease and alcohol use disorder in the nontransplant setting: A scoping review. Alcohol Clinical And Experimental Research 2025, 49: 1631-1639. PMID: 40650432, DOI: 10.1111/acer.70112.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsTreatment of alcohol-associated liver diseaseAlcohol-associated liver diseaseAlcohol use disorderTreatment of alcohol use disordersConcomitant treatmentLiver transplant evaluationLiver diseaseNontransplant settingLiver transplantationProgression of alcohol-associated liver diseaseTransplant evaluationEffective treatmentUse disorderLiver-related deathComprehensive searchAssociated liver diseaseComprehensive search of electronic databasesFrequency of hospitalizationCare modelSearch of electronic databasesDisease courseEmergency department visitsCochrane LibraryAddiction medicineMultidisciplinary care teamAlcohol use during pregnancy: the impact of social determinants of health on alcohol consumption among pregnant women
Peltier M, Verplaetse T, Bici V, Mokwuah A, Chavez C, Zakiniaeiz Y, Kohler R, Garcia-Rivas V, Banini B, Zhou H, Raval N, Pittman B, McKee S. Alcohol use during pregnancy: the impact of social determinants of health on alcohol consumption among pregnant women. Biology Of Sex Differences 2025, 16: 49. PMID: 40598644, PMCID: PMC12219128, DOI: 10.1186/s13293-025-00731-6.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsSocial determinants of healthDeterminants of healthImpact of SDoHMonthly binge drinkingMonth alcohol useAlcohol useLikelihood of alcohol useSocial determinantsLikelihood of binge drinkingPregnant womenBinge drinkingImpact of social determinants of healthAlcohol consumptionNational Survey of Drug Use and HealthNational surveyMethodsCross-sectional dataDrug Use and HealthRates of prenatal alcohol exposureHigh school educationCriminal justice involvementPast-month alcohol useHealthcare providersSDOHTime of alcohol consumptionPrenatal alcohol exposureGreater neuroimmune system deficit in women than men with alcohol use disorder
Zakiniaeiz Y, Hillmer A, Shi H, Pittman B, Nabulsi N, Huang Y, Bonomi R, Matuskey D, Angarita G, McKee S, Cosgrove K. Greater neuroimmune system deficit in women than men with alcohol use disorder. Biological Psychiatry 2025 PMID: 40412787, PMCID: PMC12353993, DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2025.05.012.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsTranslocator protein availabilityAlcohol-induced neurodegenerationExecutive function tasksConsequences of alcohol useAlcohol use disorderBrain imaging scansTranslocator protein levelsSex-matched controlsExecutive functionLower hippocampalTSPO availabilityFrontal cortexTranslocator proteinUse disorderNeurocognitive functionBrain regionsSex differencesAlcohol useBrain-resident immune cellsNeuroimmune mechanismsFunctional tasksSystem deficitsAUDImaging scansNeuroimmune cellsIs It Time to Update Clinical Care Guidelines to Address Sex and Gender Differences in Smoking Cessation Medication Efficacy?
McKee S. Is It Time to Update Clinical Care Guidelines to Address Sex and Gender Differences in Smoking Cessation Medication Efficacy? Nicotine & Tobacco Research 2025, ntaf107. PMID: 40378250, DOI: 10.1093/ntr/ntaf107.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricPreclinical and clinical sex differences in the effects of alcohol on measures of brain dopamine: a systematic review
Barrios N, Riordan W, Garcia-Rivas V, Peltier M, Roberts W, Verplaetse T, Kohler R, Zhou H, Banini B, McKee S, Cosgrove K, Zakiniaeiz Y. Preclinical and clinical sex differences in the effects of alcohol on measures of brain dopamine: a systematic review. Biology Of Sex Differences 2025, 16: 24. PMID: 40200334, PMCID: PMC11980350, DOI: 10.1186/s13293-025-00706-7.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsAlcohol use disorderAlcohol-induced dopamine releaseEffects of alcoholSex differencesAlcohol exposureDopamine measurementsMu-opioid receptorsDopamine releaseEffects of sexProgression of alcohol use disorderDopamine D1 receptor availabilityAlcohol use disorder developmentEffects of prenatal alcohol exposureD1 receptor availabilityStriatal dopamine concentrationsAir-exposed controlsAlcohol-exposed animalsMu-opioid receptor activationPrenatal alcohol exposureDuration of alcohol exposureVentral striatumBrain dopamineReward processingNeurobiological mechanismsReceptor availabilityOnce-Weekly Semaglutide in Adults With Alcohol Use Disorder
Hendershot C, Bremmer M, Paladino M, Kostantinis G, Gilmore T, Sullivan N, Tow A, Dermody S, Prince M, Jordan R, McKee S, Fletcher P, Claus E, Klein K. Once-Weekly Semaglutide in Adults With Alcohol Use Disorder. JAMA Psychiatry 2025, 82: 395-405. PMID: 39937469, PMCID: PMC11822619, DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2024.4789.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsAlcohol use disorderUse disorderPeak breath alcohol concentrationMedium to large effect sizesNon-treatment-seeking participantsWeeks of outpatient treatmentAlcohol self-administrationSelf-administration taskReduce alcohol intakeOnce-weekly subcutaneous semaglutideLarge effect sizesAlcohol consumptionSubsample of individualsBreath alcohol concentrationEffects of once-weekly subcutaneous semaglutideTreatment-by-time interactionOnce-weekly semaglutideAlcohol cravingReduce cravingSelf-AdministrationDrinking outcomesSemaglutide treatmentDrinking daysReduce drinkingAmount of alcoholState Policy Variation in Implementation of Federal Drug and Child Abuse Laws and Stigmatization of Pregnant and Postpartum Individuals with Opioid Use Disorder
Peltier M, Pegram D, Chander G, Weisner C, McKee S, Jones H, Chang G. State Policy Variation in Implementation of Federal Drug and Child Abuse Laws and Stigmatization of Pregnant and Postpartum Individuals with Opioid Use Disorder. Journal Of Women's Health 2025, 34: 613-621. PMID: 39932704, PMCID: PMC12136142, DOI: 10.1089/jwh.2024.0638.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsConceptsOpioid use disorderChild abuse lawsChild abuse preventionRemoval of childrenAbuse lawsLegal actionCurrent legislationSubstance-exposed infantsComprehensive AddictionPunitive actionsIndividual statesRisk of overdoseAbuse preventionLegislationLife-saving medicationsLawState policyChild welfare workersSubstance useMandated trainingUse disorderMOUDIndividuals of colorPolicy variationReporting system
Clinical Trials
Current Trials
The Effect of Acute Stress and Inflammation on Drinking
HIC ID2000028772RoleSub InvestigatorPrimary Completion Date06/30/2022Recruiting ParticipantsGenderBothAge21 years - 65 yearsCombining Varenicline and Guanfacine for Smoking Cessation
HIC ID2000026630RolePrincipal InvestigatorPrimary Completion Date09/30/2020Recruiting ParticipantsGenderBothAge18+ yearsMechanistic Evaluation of Guanfacine on Drinking Behavior
HIC ID2000023970RolePrincipal InvestigatorPrimary Completion Date09/29/2026Recruiting ParticipantsGenderBothAge21 years - 70 yearsDoes Propanolol, a Beta Blocker, Attenuate Stress-Induced Drinking?
HIC ID2000022090RolePrincipal InvestigatorPrimary Completion Date02/28/2025Recruiting ParticipantsGenderBothAge21 years - 65 years
Academic Achievements & Community Involvement
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Activities
activity Div 50, American Psychological Association
09/01/2018 - PresentProfessional OrganizationsChairDetailsChair, Awards Committeeactivity Psychology of Addictive Behavior
08/01/2014 - PresentJournal ServiceAssociate EditorDetailsAssociate Editoractivity National Institute on Alcohol Abuse & Alcoholism
07/01/2014 - PresentPeer Review Groups and Grant Study SectionsReviewerDetailsReviewer, Loan Repayment Grantsactivity Drug and Alcohol Dependence - Reports
10/01/2021 - PresentJournal ServiceAssociate EditorDetailsAssociate Editoractivity New Haven Re-entry Center
06/01/2021 - PresentAdvisory BoardsMemberDetailsOffice of the Mayor, New HavenNew Haven Re-entry Center
Honors
honor President (2015-2016)
08/01/2015National AwardSociety of Addiction Psychology (Div 50) American Psychological AssociationDetailsUnited Stateshonor Board of Directors (2013-2017)
07/01/2013National AwardResearch Society on AlcoholismDetailsUnited Stateshonor Fellow, Division 50
07/01/2010National AwardAmerican Psychological AssociationDetailsUnited States
News & Links
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News
- September 23, 2025
McKee Awarded ORWH/NIAAA Grant
- July 25, 2025Source: NBC News
Alcohol Use is Up Among Women — and Health Consequences Have Followed
- June 16, 2025Source: Psychology Today
Women With Alcohol Use Disorder Have a Different Disease
- May 14, 2025Source: The Wall Street Journal
Women Are Drinking More — and Doctors Are Worried
Get In Touch
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Contacts
Academic Office Number
Office Fax Number
Clinic Fax Number
Mailing Address
Psychiatry
40 Temple Street
New Haven, CT 06510
United States