This proposal requests continued RSDA-II funding under NIDA Grant DAOO146 in order to sustain and develop the professional career of the applicant. During the period of support provided by the original RsDA- II, the applicant's work has contributed to the understanding of drug- related phenomena and associated issues, with significant impacts on social policy as well as on clinical and research practices. His evaluations of intervention strategies targeting drug abuse have resulted in acknowledged advancements in the knowledge base, evidenced by the quantity and quality of journal publications and by policymakers' utilization of research products. His development as a scientist and the substantial research products of the past four years are partially attributable to the latitude afforded by RSDA-II support. The next five years of activities to be performed under the award will further the applicant's primary research directions as exemplified by various studies now underway: the Center on Treatment Careers and its three component research projects; the Institutional Pre- and Post-Doctoral Training Program; a 33-year follow-up study of the natural history of narcotics addicts; evaluation of treatment alternatives to street crime (TAC) programs; and secondary analysis of data from a study of enhanced methadone maintenance as a means of containing the spread of HIV/AIDS. In addition, the applicant seeks to enhance his professional capabilities by negotiating and participating in professional internships at relevant federal agencies and institutions as well as formal training in related subjects (e.g., clinical trials of pharmacotherapies for the treatment of drug dependence). The applicant expects to initiate and complete two books that will integrate prominent findings from the research he has conducted in the past two decades: one book on the evaluation of treatment effectiveness for offender populations, and the second on methadone maintenance. The applicant's supporting institution is the Neuropsychiatric Institute (NPI), organized within the Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine at UCLA. The applicant is Director of the affiliated UCLA Drug Abuse Research Center (DARK), which conducts research in drug-related epidemiology, treatment evaluation, and social policy.
Showing the most recent 10 out of 12 publications
