UK grad student authors landmark treatment review

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Aug. 18, 2026) — Publishing a paper in a top-tier journal is a major accomplishment for faculty members. For first-year graduate students, it’s almost unheard of.

Alexandra N. Johansen, a psychology Ph.D. student in the University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences, has done exactly that, serving as the lead author of a comprehensive systematic review recently published in Pharmacological Reviews.

The manuscript, titled “Translational Medications Development for Methamphetamine Use Disorder: A Systematic Review of Preclinical, Human Laboratory and Clinical Research,” tackles one of the most pressing public health crises in the Commonwealth: the lack of FDA-approved medications to treat methamphetamine use disorder (MUD).

For Johansen, the achievement reflects how UK empowers its students to take the lead on research with immediate, real-world implications.

“UK has provided me with an exceptional mentor whose guidance and support equipped me to lead a review of this significance so early in my career,” Johansen said. “UK’s commitment to addressing specific issues facing Kentucky and Appalachia enabled me to turn this research into a call to action that can directly impact our communities.”

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