Pilot Project Core John Krystal, M.D. Abstract The Pilot Projects Core provides a mechanism to provide a limited amount of funding to investigators to collect pilot data for innovative research projects. These projects serve the CTNA by 1) testing hypotheses or addressing methodologic issues central to the CTNA, 2) bringing new investigators into the CTNA and the field of alcoholism research, 3) generating new alcoholism R01's, 4) enabling CTNA to rapidly adapt to advances in the field, and 5) guiding the next iteration of the CTNA. Pilot Project Proposals are solicited through an open and public solicitation process. Proposal are developed in collaboration with the CTNA Cores (Data Management and Biostatistics, Clinical, Genetics) and refined with feedback from the Executive Committee. The following four studies are proposed for the first two years of CTNA funding: 1) Anissa Abi-Dargham, M.D. will conduct the first test of whether dopamine D2/D3 receptor regulation (PET-[11C]PHNO) is linked to NMDA glutamate receptor regulation and functions of the striatal direct and indirect pathway in humans, 2) Godfrey Pearlson, M.D. will test the capacity of an mGluR5 NAM to normalize cortico-striatal reward circuit function in healthy people with alcoholism family histories, 3) Suchitra Krishnan-Sarin, Ph.D. will test whether this mGluR5 NAM will reduce alcohol consumption in heavy drinkers, and 4) Kelly Cosgrove, Ph.D. will conduct the first evaluation of mGluR5 density alterations in alcohol dependence and recovery in humans using PET and [18F]FPEB. We also briefly describe additional outstanding proposals under consideration for the outlying years (3-5) of CTNA.
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