APA 2026 brings together the psychologists who shape what comes next—in research labs and therapy rooms, in classrooms and communities, through science and service. Discover how you lead from where you are and where we're headed together.

This year’s theme, “The Science of Lived Experience: Reimagining Research Through Lived and Learned Expertise,” reflects a commitment to elevating the voices of individuals with lived experience of substance use and recovery alongside scientific and clinical expertise. Our goal is to shape research priorities, study designs, and intervention development in ways that are both scientifically rigorous and deeply responsive to real-world needs. The theme invites us to reimagine what addiction research can be; scientifically rigorous, community-rooted, and grounded in lived and learned expertise.