Addiction medicine advances when basic science, human experiments, and clinic operations move in step. Translational SUD Research connects circuit biology, behavioral economics, and implementation science so new ideas don’t stall between animal models and outpatient care. We start with mechanism: reward prediction errors, stress and interoception, and habit vs. goal-directed control—each a lever for medicines, devices, and behavioral incentives. Human “micro-trials” are the bridge: cue-reactivity paradigms, delay discounting, stress provocation, and drug–choice tasks reveal whether a candidate truly shifts craving, valuation, and self-control. Pharmacology must show target engagement and dose–effect clarity before large trials—think occupancy or endocrine/immune signatures—and pair with phenotypes (withdrawal-heavy patients vs. cue-reactive relapsers). Behavioral translation moves fastest when contingency management is treated as a platform: incentives plus digital verification test whether mechanisms convert into daily wins. We also map device pathways—neuromodulation for craving circuits, wearables for just-in-time prompts—and contrast pragmatic vs. explanatory trials. Implementation is part of the science: clinic workflows, pharmacy logistics, payer rules, and equity constraints determine whether efficacy scales. Measurement sticks to what matters—days of non-use, overdose events, sleep and function—augmented by digital traces that capture risk in the wild. Data transparency—pre-registration, shared codebooks—prevents “too good to be true” findings from spreading. Finally, we show how to unite academic labs, community programs, and payers in platform trials that recycle controls and discover responder subgroups faster. With this blueprint, Translational SUD Research, the shared methods at a translational addiction research conference, and practical bridges like human laboratory models can turn promising signals into care that lasts.