Purpose and Program Characteristics: The purpose of the proposed program is to provide research training for 5 predoctoral (Ph.D.), 3 postdoctoral trainees, and 4 medical students (summer) in biobehavioral approaches to the study of alcohol abuse and alcoholism, with the specific objective of producing competent, independent investigators. Through specific courses, seminars, clinical research practice, and laboratory research, these trainees will: (1) acquire research methodologies relevant to alcohol abuse alcoholism areas; (2) develop an appreciation of the biomedical, biobehavioral and clinical aspects of alcoholism and the acute and chronic effects of alcohol; and (3) apply the latter knowledge base and skills in designing and executing original research in this area. We have identified several research areas for which faculty supervision and research facilities are available: behavioral pharmacology, behavioral genetics, electrophysiology/neurophysiology (both human and animal studies), human performance and neuropsychology, psychophysiology (both human and animal studies), and neurochemistry. Current research opportunities include the following: tolerance and other drug history factors in alcohol reward effects, antiintoxicants and alcohol self-administration, metabolic and oxidative stress factors in acute and chronic alcohol effects, electrophysiological and behavioral characteristics of alcohol withdrawal, the interaction of alcohol, exercise, and family history on cardiovascular reactivity, residual effects of chronic alcohol exposure on human cognitive processes and electrophysiology acute and chronic alcohol effects on auditory/vestibular neural systems and on brain neurochemistry, gender differences in human subjective effects of alcohol, acute alcohol and hangover effects on human performance and mood, and genetic (inbred strain) analyses of behavioral/neurochemical responsiveness to drugs of abuse. Trainees. Postdoctoral candidates will usually have a Ph.D. in clinical or experimental psychology or in some other biomedical specialty or have an M.D. with residency training psychiatry and will be selected on the basis of research potential. Individuals with an M.D. degree and minorities with doctoral degrees applicants will be encouraged to apply. Predoctoral trainees should have strong undergraduate training in psychology and other biological sciences or be candidates for the M.D./Ph.D. program in the College of Medicine. Special effort will be made to recruit minority candidates. Trainees who complete either program will be qualified for research related positions in a number of settings, including academic, medical center, or clinical research programs.
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