The impact of drug and alcohol abuse on the state of Missouri is staggering. More than 290,000 Missourians suffer from an alcohol abuse disorder, while 15,000 Missourians have died from drug or alcohol overdoses during the past ten years.

Kenneth Sher, a Curators’ Distinguished Professor in the department of psychological sciences at the University of Missouri, has dedicated his life to better understanding and preventing addictive behaviors. Sher, the scientific director of the Missouri Center for Addiction Research and Engagement, reflects on how a life-defining decision fifty years ago launched his celebrated career as an addiction scientist.