Milena Radoman, PhD
Associate Research Scientist in PsychiatryDownloadHi-Res Photo
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Associate Research Scientist in Psychiatry
Biography
Dr. Milena Radoman is a neuroscientist whose work focuses on substance misuse and its co-occurrence with psychiatric and physical conditions, particularly chronic pain. Her current research uses behavioral, psychophysiological, and neuroimaging approaches to examine how the brain’s response to uncertainty links negative affect, alcohol use disorder, and pain.
Dr. Radoman earned her B.A. in Neuroscience from Wellesley College and her Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She completed her postdoctoral training at the Yale Stress Center under the mentorship of Dr. Rajita Sinha, and in 2025 was awarded the prestigious NIH/NIAAA Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00) to establish her independent research program focused on alcohol use disorder and chronic pain.
Her work has been published in leading journals including American Journal of Psychiatry, Neuropsychopharmacology, Drug and Alcohol Dependence, and Addiction Biology, and she has delivered invited talks at national and international conferences.
Last Updated on September 08, 2025.
Departments & Organizations
Education & Training
- Postdoctoral Fellowship
- Yale University (2025)
- PhD
- University of Illinois at Chicago, Neuroscience (2022)
- MS
- University of Illinois at Chicago, Neuroscience (2021)
- BA
- Wellesley College, Neuroscience (2015)
Research
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Overview
Dr. Radoman is currently recruiting undergraduate and post-baccalaureate interns to join her newly funded NIH/NIAAA K99 project on uncertainty, chronic pain, and alcohol use disorder. Students from diverse fields - including neuroscience, psychology, computer science, engineering, and related areas - are encouraged to apply. Prior specialization is not required; curiosity, motivation, and enthusiasm for research are most important. Opportunities are available in-person, hybrid, and remote, making this an excellent option for students seeking hands-on experience before graduate or medical school.
Interested students should email milena.radoman@yale.edu with a CV and a brief statement of research interests. Application review will begin immediately and continue until positions are filled.
ORCID
0000-0002-3980-591X
Research at a Glance
Yale Co-Authors
Frequent collaborators of Milena Radoman, PhD's published research.
Publications Timeline
A big-picture view of Milena Radoman, PhD's research output by year.
Rajita Sinha, PhD
Dongju Seo, PhD
Nia Fogelman, PhD
22Publications
326Citations
Publications
2026
Sex-specific neural activation to stress and alcohol cues in high-risk drinkers: links between orbitofrontal circuits, alcohol craving, and future drinking
Freeman C, Radoman M, Martins J, Lacadie C, Seo D, Sinha R. Sex-specific neural activation to stress and alcohol cues in high-risk drinkers: links between orbitofrontal circuits, alcohol craving, and future drinking. Neuropsychopharmacology 2026, 1-9. PMID: 41792252, PMCID: PMC13032816, DOI: 10.1038/s41386-026-02379-1.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsCue-induced cravingOrbitofrontal cortexAlcohol use disorderStress cuesHigh-risk drinkersAlcohol cuesHigh-risk drinkingStriatal activityAlcohol cue-induced cravingHigh-risk womenOrbitofrontal cortex activationWhole-brain voxel-based analysisReactivity to stressResponse to alcoholVoxel-based analysisHeightened amygdalaCraving assessmentAlcohol cravingHigh-risk menNeutral cuesReward pathwayHippocampal activitySalience networkProvocation taskUse disorder
2025
Examining the moderating role of intolerance of uncertainty on pain tolerance and craving in patients with chronic pain and alcohol use disorder
Radoman M, Heilner E, McGowan C, Neree-Thompson B, Sakmar E, Sinha R. Examining the moderating role of intolerance of uncertainty on pain tolerance and craving in patients with chronic pain and alcohol use disorder. Alcohol 2025, 127: 55-61. PMID: 40513686, PMCID: PMC12276962, DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2025.06.001.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsIntolerance of uncertaintyAlcohol use disorderAlcohol use disorder groupAlcohol cravingCraving responsesUse disorderSelf-report measures of IUAlcohol-seeking behaviorMeasures of IUPain toleranceSelf-report measuresPain-related stressChronic painFifty-five adultsCognitive traitsCravingPotential treatment targetCoping behaviorsSubjective painExperimental sessionsLower pain toleranceModerating RolePsychological factorsTreatment targetControl condition
2024
Neural responses to stress and alcohol cues in individuals with pain with and without alcohol use disorder
Radoman M, McGowan C, Heilner E, Lacadie C, Sinha R. Neural responses to stress and alcohol cues in individuals with pain with and without alcohol use disorder. Addiction Biology 2024, 29: e70010. PMID: 39660770, PMCID: PMC11632857, DOI: 10.1111/adb.70010.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsAnterior insular cortexAlcohol use disorderRight anterior insular cortexOrbitofrontal cortexUse disorderAlcohol cue-induced cravingStages of alcohol use disorderDorsal anterior cingulate cortexLeft anterior insular cortexNeural responses to stressAlcohol cue-reactivityCue-elicited cravingOFC responsesRight dorsal caudateCue-induced cravingAnterior cingulate cortexVoxel-based analysisResponse to stressPreoccupation/anticipation stageAlcohol cuesCraving assessmentCue-reactivityAmygdala hyperactivationAlcohol cravingCue exposureAltered Effective Connectivity During Threat Anticipation in Individuals With Alcohol Use Disorder
Radoman M, Phan K, Ajilore O, Gorka S. Altered Effective Connectivity During Threat Anticipation in Individuals With Alcohol Use Disorder. Biological Psychiatry Cognitive Neuroscience And Neuroimaging 2024, 10: 213-221. PMID: 39117274, PMCID: PMC11868811, DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2024.07.023.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsAlcohol use disorderEffective connectivityThreat processingThreat trialsAnterior insulaNeuroimaging studiesUse disorderAnteromedial thalamusDorsal anterior cingulate cortexAlcohol use disorder groupFunctional magnetic resonance imagingInterregional effective connectivityAnterior cingulate cortexRight anterior insulaIndividual difference factorsDynamic causal modelingHealthy control participantsNo group differencesAvoidance-based copingFrontolimbic regionsThreat anticipationUnpredictable threatCingulate cortexBetween-group comparisonsControl participantsNeural Correlates of Stress and Alcohol Cue-Induced Alcohol Craving and of Future Heavy Drinking: Evidence of Sex Differences
Radoman M, Fogelman N, Lacadie C, Seo D, Sinha R. Neural Correlates of Stress and Alcohol Cue-Induced Alcohol Craving and of Future Heavy Drinking: Evidence of Sex Differences. American Journal Of Psychiatry 2024, 181: 412-422. PMID: 38706332, PMCID: PMC11117176, DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.20230849.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsAlcohol use disorderPercentage of heavy drinking daysNeural correlates of stressCue-induced cravingHeavy drinking daysAlcohol cravingSex differencesCorrelates of stressDrinking daysAlcohol cue-induced cravingCue-induced alcohol cravingBed nucleus of the stria terminalisSubgenual anterior cingulate cortexAssessment of alcohol cravingHeavy drinkingAlcohol cue reactivityAssociated with poor treatment outcomesCue-induced responsesNeutral cue exposureAssociated with hypoactivationTreatment-seeking adultsHeavy drinking outcomesEvidence of sex differencesVoxel-based regression analysisAnterior cingulate cortex
2023
Reply to Bradford: Comment on increasing ecological validity in neuropsychopharmacology research on the relationship between alcohol use and uncertain stressors
Radoman M, Gorka S. Reply to Bradford: Comment on increasing ecological validity in neuropsychopharmacology research on the relationship between alcohol use and uncertain stressors. Neuropsychopharmacology 2023, 49: 355-356. PMID: 37673967, PMCID: PMC10724151, DOI: 10.1038/s41386-023-01706-0.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH Keywords and ConceptsBehavioral and brain reactivity to uncertain stress prospectively predicts binge drinking in youth
Gorka S, Radoman M, Jimmy J, Kreutzer K, Manzler C, Culp S. Behavioral and brain reactivity to uncertain stress prospectively predicts binge drinking in youth. Neuropsychopharmacology 2023, 48: 1194-1200. PMID: 37147429, PMCID: PMC10267158, DOI: 10.1038/s41386-023-01571-x.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsReactivity to U-threatDorsal anterior cingulate cortexAlcohol use disorderU-threatUse disorderProbability of binge drinkingBinge drinkingP-threatPathophysiology of alcohol use disorderThreat-of-shock taskLongitudinal within-subjects designStartle eyeblink potentiationBaseline startle reactivityAnterior cingulate cortexBilateral anterior insulaIndividual difference factorsBinge drinking episodesWithin-subject designMulti-session studyStartle reactivityAnterior insulaBrain reactivityCingulate cortexBinge episodesBaseline session
2022
Intolerance of uncertainty and functional connectivity of the anterior insula during anticipation of unpredictable reward
Radoman M, Gorka S. Intolerance of uncertainty and functional connectivity of the anterior insula during anticipation of unpredictable reward. International Journal Of Psychophysiology 2022, 183: 1-8. PMID: 36122824, PMCID: PMC11062179, DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2022.09.003.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsFunctional magnetic resonance imagingDorsal anterior cingulate cortexGeneralized psychophysiological interactionSelf-report measuresSelf-reported levelsAnterior insulaFunctional connectivitySelf-report measures of IURight dorsolateral prefrontal cortexFindings to clinical populationsReward anticipation taskMeasures of IUIntolerance of uncertaintyLevels of IUAnterior cingulate cortexDorsolateral prefrontal cortexExecutive control networkReward anticipationPsychophysiological interactionReward processingUnpredicted rewardsPrefrontal cortexResponse to uncertaintyCingulate cortexPsychiatric disordersAssociation between startle reactivity to uncertain threats and structural brain volume
Manzler C, Radoman M, Khorrami K, Gorka S. Association between startle reactivity to uncertain threats and structural brain volume. Psychophysiology 2022, 59: e14074. PMID: 35579909, PMCID: PMC10080733, DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14074.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsDorsal anterior cingulate cortexStructural brain volumesU-threatStartle reactivityBrain volumeAnticipation of aversive stimuliStartle eyeblink potentiationAnterior cingulate cortexGray matter volumeIndividual difference factorsStructural MRI scansAversive reactivityROI-based analysisFrontolimbic circuitsMultiple psychopathologiesNPU taskAversive stimuliCingulate cortexRight insulaMatter volumeIndividual differencesBilateral thalamusInsulaYoung adult volunteersObjective indicesP35. Altered Threat-Related Effective Connectivity in Alcohol Use Disorder: an fMRI Study
Radoman M, Phan K, Gorka S, Ajilore O. P35. Altered Threat-Related Effective Connectivity in Alcohol Use Disorder: an fMRI Study. Biological Psychiatry 2022, 91: s101-s102. DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.02.270.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
Academic Achievements & Community Involvement
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Activities
activity Research Society on Alcohol (RSA)
08/15/2022 - PresentProfessional OrganizationsCommittee MemberDetailsDr. Radoman serves as Chair of the Research Society on Alcohol (RSA) Continuing Education Committee and as Co-Chair of the Mentoring Subcommittee within the Career Development and Training Committee.activity The College on Problems of Drug Dependence
2025 - PresentProfessional OrganizationsCommittee Memberactivity ISBRA Early Career Investigator Committee
09/01/2024 - PresentProfessional OrganizationsFounding Member
Honors
honor 2025 ISBRA Early Career Investigator Award
06/24/2025International AwardInternational Society for Biomedical Research on AlcoholismDetailsUnited Stateshonor NIDA Director's Travel Award
06/17/2025National AwardThe College on Problems of Drug DependenceDetailsUnited States
Teaching & Mentoring
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Mentoring
Benazir Neree-Thompson
Postgrad associate2024 - 2025Colleen McGowan
Postgrad associate2023 - 2024Emily Heilner
Postgrad associate2023 - 2025
Willing and Available to Mentor
- Students
News
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News
- January 12, 2026
Radoman Receives Inaugural ACNP Career-Spanning Mentorship Award
- September 16, 2025
Radoman Awarded NIAAA Grant
- June 04, 2025
Radoman Chosen to Receive 2 Travel Awards to Promote Research
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