The proposed Mid-Career Investigator Award in Patient-Oriented Research (K24) includes a program of career development training, research in pediatric psychopharmacology, and research mentoring of young investigators. A major focus of the project is to acquire additional research skills with which to better identify possible predictors of therapeutic drug response and adverse reactions to psychotropics used in the treatment of childhood neuropsychiatric illnesses. The research project proposes additional analyses of potential predictor variables from the candidate's involvement in the multi-site NIMH Research Units on Pediatric Psychopharmacology (RUPP) Autism Risperidone Study. Predictor variables relating to the serotonin system and drug metabolism will be explored, with the goal of generating hypotheses to be replicated in other samples. The candidate is a mid-level faculty member with a track record of researching the neurobiology of neuropsychiatric disorders in children and adolescents, who has evolved to have an increasing focus on pediatric psychopharmacology. The additional career training plan includes courses in biostatistics, genetics, and neuropharmacology. The didactic coursework is augmented by extramural coursework, laboratory training, and tutoring with faculty in the UCLA School of Medicine. The proposed training experience dovetails with the candidate's ongoing research involvement enabling an integration of training goals with research application. The candidate proposes to continue and expand ongoing mentoring activities of research trainees and junior faculty. The support from the proposed Mid-Career Award would significantly enhance the candidate's research background and enable a redoubled effort in his research and mentoring activities.
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