Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology ^® publishes advances in translational and interdisciplinary research on psychopharmacology and drug abuse. The scope of research in these areas continues to expand and to benefit from collaborations across a broad range of disciplines, including behavioral science, brain imaging, genetics, neuroendocrinology, neuroscience, and pharmacology.

One goal of the journal is to encourage increased attention to biologic factors that may influence both the pharmacodynamic and the pharmacokinetic effects of drugs. Recent research has shown the importance of examining the effects of sex and menstrual/estrous cycle phase on the effects of abused drugs, as well as responses to medications for the treatment of drug abuse and the alleviation of pain.

The journal publishes original reports on the development and evaluation of new pharmacotherapies, the influence of genetics and hormones on responses to abused drugs and treatment medications, the pharmacological management of pain, and brain imaging studies of the neural correlates of drug effects.

The journal will focus on clinical laboratory studies and controlled clinical medication trials as well as basic preclinical experiments on psychopharmacology and drug abuse.

The journal also will include comprehensive and integrative reviews of advances in research on psychopharmacology. These reviews should provide a broad perspective on a particular area of research or trace the development of critical concepts and experimental approaches.

Each year, the journal will recognize young investigators who are recipients of the Young Psychopharmacologist Award or the Best Dissertation Award, as well as midcareer and senior scientists who receive the Brady–Schuster Award from APA Division 28, Psychopharmacology and Substance Abuse. Awardees will be invited to submit a review paper based on their award-winning research.

The journal may occasionally publish innovations in psychopharmacology that report a novel method, measure, or result. Commentary on the nature and implications of the innovation may be invited.

The overall goal is to provide a forum for innovative clinical and preclinical research that advances our understanding of the behavioral and biological determinants of the effects of drugs.