The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) is a national medical specialty society of more than 3,000 physicians. It's mission is to increase access to and improve the quality of addiction treatment; to educate physicians, other health care providers and the public; to support research and prevention; to promote the appropriate role of the physician in the care of patients with addictive disorders; and to establis Addiction Medicine as a primary specialty recognized by professional organizations, governments, physicians, purchasers and consumers of health care services, and the general public. ASAM was founded in 1954, and has had a seat in the American Medical Association House of Delegates since 1988. It is the intention of this conference grant renewal proposal to outline a plan for a series of conferences to be sponsored by ASAM and its partner organizations. These conferences address the etiology and consequences of drug addiction, including its medical consequences, such as infectious diseases (e.g. HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C) and psychiatric comorbidities.
The specific aims of the conferences are to: 1. Foster collaboration among United States and international health care professionals in diverse disciplines: Multiple discipline collaboration is essential to successful research into the etiolog and consequences of drug addiction and related co-occurring disorders and medical complications. The areas of expertise engaged include addiction medicine clinicians, epidemiologists, neurobiologists, pharmacologists, immunologists, virologists, mental health professionals, infectious disease specialists, and experts in related medical specialties (such as cardiology and adolescent medicine). 2. Encourage young researchers and clinicians to enter the fields of addiction research and practice. The conference seeks to provide a training experience for young investigators in the area of drug addiction and infectious disease research, through conference fellowships. Individuals in these categories from the U.S. and other countries will be encouraged to submit abstracts for brief talks and poster sessions. They will also have access to separate sessions planned as a co-venture ASAM and National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) to explain the grant-writing process, funding resources, and processes in the field of addiction medicine. These sessions address issues that arise from our multiracial and ethnically diverse audience with emphasis on fostering international research both by American institutions and by those of other countries. 3. To disseminate information generated by this conference: Many outstanding scientific and clinical publications have been produced from past conferences. This process has accelerated through the venue of ASAM's Journal of Addiction Medicine, edited by George Koob, Ph.D., and published internationally by Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins. The reach of the conferences extends beyond those who participate in person, each conference session is audio captured and synced with the speakers presentation slides and then posted online to ASAM's e-Live Learning Center. The conference participants have free access to the e- Live Learning Center, providing them with the opportunity to view and earn CME for the sessions that they were unable to attend in person.
It is the intention of this conference grant (R13) proposal to outline a plan for a series of conferences to be sponsored by the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) and its partner organizations. These Medical-Scientific Conferences address the etiology and consequences of drug addiction, including its medical consequences (such as infectious diseases) and psychiatric comorbidities.
