LUKAS, SE Training in Drug Abuse and Imaging T32 DA015036-15 This is a proposal to continue with years 16-20 of a postdoctoral training program in brain imaging and drug and alcohol abuse. We have at our disposal a variety of brain imaging tools that have yielded valuable insights into reward systems and addiction. The need for such a dedicated program is driven by the emergence of new and innovative techniques to view both the anatomical and functional aspects of the brain under a variety of conditions related to drug and alcohol abuse such as: acute intoxicating effects, tracking cue-induced craving, measuring cognitive effects, detecting persistent neurological and cognitive defects, monitoring withdrawal, sleep disturbances, medication compliance, tracking treatment progress and medication development. Because the nature and spectrum of the disciplines involved in imaging are complex, a new breed of scientists with backgrounds in imaging technology, multimodal analyses, neuroscience, pharmacology, addiction medicine and treatment are needed to more fully explore the neurobiological bases of drug abuse and fill the anticipated needs in the United States?our Training Program has been filling this void. Over the past 14 years we have successfully directed an integrated, multidisciplinary Drug Abuse and Brain Imaging Training Program that is supported by the McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School and the Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging at the MGH. Our program emphasizes both clinical and translational research directives that have solid foundations in magnetic resonance [imaging, functional and spectroscopy], EEG, PET and most recently Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS). The infrastructure of the training program is built around two Siemens 3T clinical scanners (a TIM Trio and a Prisma), a Varian 4T clinical scanner, a 9.4T small bore animal magnet, both low and high density EEG/ERP and an Imagent NIRS system. Both animal and clinical PET is available at our MGH site. Our mentors are well funded by NIDA, NIAAA and NIMH and as such offer a unique breadth of research opportunities for our trainees. Our postdoctoral training program is structured to provide the trainees, over the course of 2 or 3 years, with the basics of imaging techniques, followed by placement in one of four distinct research tracks supporting each trainee's specific career goals: 1) Technology and Instrumentation; 2) Basic-Clinical; 3) Clinical-Treatment; and 4) Translational. In collaboration with the Martinos Center, we offer training in concurrent PET/MRI. The combination of didactic training in brain imaging and psychopharmacology with practical applications in a variety of highly successful research laboratories provides our trainees with the skills to utilize a broad range of brain imaging techniques as they embark on the next decade of research on how drugs and alcohol affect the brain.

Public Health Relevance

Sophisticated brain imaging techniques are more frequently being used to better detect, understand, develop new medications, and track and prevent drug abuse. Since its inception 14 years ago, we have built and maintained an integrated, multidisciplinary Drug Abuse and Brain Imaging Training Program that currently supports 4 postdoctoral slots to train young investigators on how to merge imaging technologies with basic and applied clinical research and translational models of drug and alcohol abuse in order to meet these important needs. The extensive breadth of credentials of program mentors offers our trainees the best opportunity to learn to apply these skills in order to further our understanding of the neurobiological bases of the addicted brain.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Type
Institutional National Research Service Award (T32)
Project #
5T32DA015036-17
Application #
9475200
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZAA1)
Program Officer
Kautz, Mary A
Project Start
2002-07-10
Project End
2022-06-30
Budget Start
2018-07-01
Budget End
2019-06-30
Support Year
17
Fiscal Year
2018
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Mclean Hospital
Department
Type
DUNS #
046514535
City
Belmont
State
MA
Country
United States
Zip Code
McCarthy, Julie M; Bradshaw, Kristen R; Catalano, Lauren T et al. (2018) Negative symptoms and the formation of social affiliative bonds in schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 193:225-231
Dumais, Kelly M; Chernyak, Sergey; Nickerson, Lisa D et al. (2018) Sex differences in default mode and dorsal attention network engagement. PLoS One 13:e0199049
McLaughlin, Jay P; Paris, Jason J; Mintzopoulos, Dionyssios et al. (2017) Conditional Human Immunodeficiency Virus Transactivator of Transcription Protein Expression Induces Depression-like Effects and Oxidative Stress. Biol Psychiatry Cogn Neurosci Neuroimaging 2:599-609
Dumais, Kelly M; Franklin, Teresa R; Jagannathan, Kanchana et al. (2017) Multi-site exploration of sex differences in brain reactivity to smoking cues: Consensus across sites and methodologies. Drug Alcohol Depend 178:469-476
McCarthy, Julie M; Zuo, Chun S; Shepherd, Justin M et al. (2017) Reduced interhemispheric executive control network coupling in men during early cocaine abstinence: A pilot study. Drug Alcohol Depend 181:1-4
Copersino, Marc L; Price, Jenessa S; Frost, Katherine H et al. (2016) Default Mode Network Functional Reorganization During Early Abstinence in Polysubstance-Using Emerging Adults Treated for Opioid Dependence. J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci :appineuropsych15090240
Wang, Changning; Placzek, Michael S; Van de Bittner, Genevieve C et al. (2016) A Novel Radiotracer for Imaging Monoacylglycerol Lipase in the Brain Using Positron Emission Tomography. ACS Chem Neurosci 7:484-9
Dias, N R; Peechatka, A L; Janes, A C (2016) Insula reactivity to negative stimuli is associated with daily cigarette use: A preliminary investigation using the Human Connectome Database. Drug Alcohol Depend 159:277-80
Strebl, Martin G; Wang, Changning; Schroeder, Frederick A et al. (2016) Development of a Fluorinated Class-I HDAC Radiotracer Reveals Key Chemical Determinants of Brain Penetrance. ACS Chem Neurosci 7:528-33
Stricker, Nikki H; Salat, David H; Kuhn, Taylor P et al. (2016) Mild Cognitive Impairment is Associated With White Matter Integrity Changes in Late-Myelinating Regions Within the Corpus Callosum. Am J Alzheimers Dis Other Demen 31:68-75

Showing the most recent 10 out of 65 publications