ThepurposeoftheproposedPathwaystoIndependenceawardistoassistthecandidateindeveloping researchskillsrelevanttoalcoholphenotypesandpsychiatricgeneticmethods.Thecandidate?sultimate careergoalistofunctionasanindependent,extramurallyfundedresearcherwithinanacademicresearch institution.Specifically,thecandidateaimstodevelopaprogramofresearchfocusedontheinvestigationof biologicalandpsychosocialfactorsrelatedtotheetiologyandmaintenanceofposttraumaticstressdisorder (PTSD)andalcoholusedisorders(AUDs),frequentlycooccurringclinicalconditionsthatarehighlyimpairing andrepresentmajorpublichealthconcerns.TheK99trainingphaseoftheawardwouldoccurunderthe mentorshipofDrs.KennethKendlerandAnandaAmstadterattheVirginiaInstituteforPsychiatricand BehavioralGenetics(VIPBG),oneofthetopresearchinstitutesintheworldforpsychiatricgeneticresearch. TheproposedpostdoctoraltrainingandsupportfromthePathwaystoIndependencemechanismwouldallow thecandidatetomergeherexistingexperienceinhumanlaboratorymethodologieswithnoveltrainingin alcoholphenotypes,psychiatricgeneticmethods,andadvanceddataanalytictechniques,allowingforthe investigationofriskforcooccurringPTSDandAUDsfromamultimethodperspective.Thetrainingplan includesanumberofcomplementaryapproaches,suchasformalcourseworkanddidactics(e.g.,seminars, workshops),individualmentorship,advancedstatisticaltraining,disseminationactivities,trainingintheethical conductofresearch,andexperiencewithgrantsmanshipactivities.TheproposedK99study,tailoredwiththe traininggoalsinmind,aimstocapitalizeonaNIAAAfundedmeritaward(PI:Kendler)toexaminegeneticand environmentalfactorsrelatedtoPTSDsymptoms,distresstolerance,andcopingorienteddrinkinginyoung adults.Specifically,theaimsoftheK99studyareto:(1)detectgeneticvariationandidentifyfunctionalgene groupsrelatedtoPTSDandcopingorienteddrinking?and(2)examinewhetherdistresstolerancemediatesa relationshipbetweenPTSDandcopingorienteddrinkingafteraccountingforsharedgeneticvariationbetween PTSDandcopingorienteddrinking.Theproposedstudyisclinicallysignificant,inthatitwouldincreaseour understandingofgeneticandenvironmentalfactorsunderlyingPTSDAUDcooccurrence,therebyinforming thedevelopmentoftargetedpreventionandearlyinterventionstrategies.
Approximatelyhalfofindividualsseekingtreatmentforalcoholusedisorders(AUD)meetcurrentcriteriafor posttraumaticstressdisorder(PTSD).GiventhatindividualswithcooccurringAUDPTSDhavepoorer treatmentoutcomes,itisimportanttoincreaseourunderstandingoftheetiologyandmaintenanceofthese debilitatingclinicalconditions.Investigatingbothgeneticandpsychosocialfactorsunderlyingkeyprocessesin AUDPTSDcooccurrence(e.g.,drinkingforselfmedicationreasons),hasthepotentialtoinformpersonalized interventiontechniquesforatriskindividuals.
| Berenz, Erin C; Roberson-Nay, Roxann; Latendresse, Shawn J et al. (2017) Posttraumatic stress disorder and alcohol dependence: Epidemiology and order of onset. Psychol Trauma 9:485-492 |
| Berenz, Erin C; Cho, Seung Bin; Overstreet, Cassie et al. (2016) Longitudinal investigation of interpersonal trauma exposure and alcohol use trajectories. Addict Behav 53:67-73 |
| Berenz, Erin C; Kevorkian, Salpi; Chowdhury, Nadia et al. (2016) Posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms, anxiety sensitivity, and alcohol-use motives in college students with a history of interpersonal trauma. Psychol Addict Behav 30:755-763 |
