James Langenbucher specializes in diagnosis, nosology, and adult psychopathology. Since 1989 he has been principal investigator of the Rutgers Research Diagnostic Project, a multisited, prospective longitudinal cohort study. He currently holds an Independent Scientist Award for Neuroadaptive Clinical Models of Drug Dependence from the National Institute on Drug Abuse. His research focuses on developing new, high-performance diagnostic algorithms with firm links to biological and developmental factors, and testing them through a multilevel validation strategy before feeding them into the DSM-V and ICD-11 development processes.

From 1987 to 1995, Dr. Langenbucher was director of a principal teaching clinic for the clinical psychology program at Rutgers: the Program for Addictions Consultation and Treatment, a collaborative program of Rutgers Center of Alcohol Studies and St. Peter's Medical Center in New Brunswick. He provides clinical supervision in addictions treatment and general mental health cases to a variety of Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology and clinical Ph.D. students and graduates. Board certified in forensic examination, he regularly conducts assessment of cases in which alcohol and drug abuse are involved, and has a special interest in the problems of the elderly. He limits his therapy practice to patients aged 60 and older.