Rory A. Pfund, PhD, Awarded the 2024 ICRG Scientific Achievement Award
Las Vegas, NC – September 25, 2024 – The International Center for Responsible Gaming (ICRG) is pleased to announce that Dr. Rory A. Pfund has been selected for the 2024 ICRG Scientific Achievement Award. This prestigious award recognizes Dr. Pfund’s outstanding contributions to gambling studies and his significant impact on advancing research in gambling disorder and responsible gambling.
Dr. Pfund, who received his PhD in Clinical Psychology from The University of Memphis in 2020, is a Research Assistant Professor at The University of Memphis and the Clinic and Research Director at the Tennessee Institute for Gambling Education & Research. Despite being an early-stage researcher, Dr. Pfund has already authored over 50 peer-reviewed journal articles, many of which focus on the treatment and prevention of gambling disorder. His work has set new standards in the field by applying cutting-edge meta-analytic methodologies to evaluate the efficacy of psychological treatments for gambling harm.
One of Dr. Pfund’s most notable achievements is developing an open-access meta-analytic database for the larger Metapsy project. This database includes comprehensive data on psychological treatments for mental health conditions worldwide, with gambling disorder as the first and only addiction disorder currently represented. His work has not only elevated the research on gambling disorder but has also positioned it as a model for understanding other mental health and addictive disorders.
Dr. Pfund’s research has been instrumental in achieving the official recognition of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for gambling disorder as an empirically supported treatment by the American Psychological Association’s Society of Clinical Psychology. This recognition is a significant milestone, as gambling disorder had not been included on the SCP’s treatment list since its designation as an addiction in 2013.
In addition to his research, Dr. Pfund is leading a new three-year study funded by the ICRG to develop an innovative web-based intervention to prevent gambling problems among college students in Tennessee. This intervention is poised to significantly reduce gambling-related harm in the student population.
“We are honored to present Dr. Rory Pfund with the 2024 Scientific Achievement Award,” said Art Arthur Paikowsky, President at ICRG. “His groundbreaking research has not only contributed to our understanding of gambling disorder but has also laid the foundation for future advancements in the treatment and prevention of addiction. We look forward to seeing how his work will continue to shape the field.”
The award will be presented at the upcoming ICRG Conference on Gambling and Addiction in Las Vegas, Nevada, on October 6, 2024. For more information about the conference and the award, please visit https://www.icrg.org/event/25th-icrg-conference-on-gambling-and-addiction/
