The proposed TTURC reflects several unique strengths. First, the Center brings together five eminent project leaders with diverse expertise in the field of tobacco research (Drs. Leslie, Janner, PotInn, Pechman, and Tengs). Each of these scholars has achieved distinction in their respective disciplines of pharmacology, neuroscience, human development, social and health psychology, community health promotion, and health policy analysis. These scientists will work collaboratively to identify key predictor of nicotine dependency in animals and tobacco susceptibility and use in humans. A major goal of the collaboration is to establish a shared conceptual model of tobacco susceptibility and use that can be used to integrate experimental findings across multiple levels of analysis (i.e., biological, behavioral, developmental, interpersonal, and epidemiological/community levels), and to translate these findings into intervention strategics (i.e., pharmacological, behavioral, social marketing, and health policy strategies) that will be evaluated for their public health efficacy and cost effectiveness. A second major strength of the TTURC is its incorporation of four highly interactive cores, each strategically designed to promote successful transdisciplinary collaboration in the field of tobacco susceptibility, use, and intervention. The Transdisciplinary Core will implement structured activities to foster scientific collaboration (e.g., team workshops, retreats), and also conduct a systematic self study of collaboration among members of the TIURC over a five-year period, based on a taxonomic model of the antecedents, intermediate processes, and scientific outcomes of transdisciplinary research. The Informatics Core (led by Dr. Shankle) will develop several valuable informational resources, including a shared relational data base to facilitate the integration of data sets and research findings across multiple TTURC projects and an interactive TTURC web site), all designed to promote more effective transdisciplinary collaboration The Career Development Core (co-directed by Drs. Whitely and Fallon) integrates the theoretical and methodological perspectives emphasized in the research projects and the Transdisciplinary, and Informatics Cores. It will afford a wide array of transdisciplinary training opportunities that are directly responsive to the training priorities outlined in the Report of the Working Groups of the Youth Tobacco Prevention Initiative (1998). Finally, the Administrative Core will be co-directed by Drs. Leslie and Stokols, both of whom have extensive university administrative experience and are active in the fields of pharmacology, neuro5cience, community health promotion, social ecology, and transdisciplinary theory development. The CO-PIs will oversee interactive activities of the TTURC with the goal of promoting effective transdisciplinary collaboration among the project team members research trainees and staff and members of the External and Internal Advisory Boards.
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