Robert D. Lovinger, MD is Medical Director at Garden of New Beginnings Addiction Recovery Center in North Palm Beach, Florida. He is the author of Addiction Medicine: An Introduction for Health Care Professionals.

Dr. Lovinger received his MD from the University of Miami, with post-doctorate training in Pediatrics, Pediatric Endocrinology, and Neurophysiology/Neurochemistry at the University of California, San Francisco. He has served in the U.S. Naval Regional Medical Center as Director, Pediatrics and as Chief Medical Officer/Substance Abuse Counselor and Bioterrorism Coordinator, USS Iwo Jima. He also taught clinical chemistry in the Department of Pathology, Medical College of Virginia, and has directed manifold medical laboratories.

During Dr. Lovinger’s professional training at the University of California, he had the opportunity to conduct brain research, learn laboratory medicine, and work on a doctorate in neurophysiology/neurochemistry. His introduction to the clinical practice side of addiction medicine came just after his professional training ended, when he served as a medical officer in the United States Navy. His interest in addiction medicine has continued throughout his distinguished career in his roles as an academician, clinician, mentor, and lifelong teacher.

Throughout his career, Dr. Lovinger has spent increasing amounts of time in the area of addiction medicine, becoming aware of the knowledge gaps which exist between different members of the treatment team, and finding that much of the current information in addiction medicine, although available, was contained in lengthy, academically oriented books which many found difficult to read and/or understand. His recent book in this area is a result of his desire to write a simple and easy-to-assimilate monograph for those both in training or already employed as members of an addiction medicine team.