The purpose of this Research Institute on Addictions (RIA) program is to provide specialized postdoctoral training for individuals seeking to pursue a career in alcohol research. The proposed program focuses on providing quality research training in two primary areas;(1) etiology and course of alcohol use and misuse and (2) treatment for alcohol use disorders. The goal of the program is to produce scientists who are thoroughly trained to teach and conduct systematic research on these and related topics. The program is characterized by several strengths. First, an interdisciplinary approach is used as the framework for the training program. The Core and Associated Faculty include representation of such diverse yet complementary fields as psychology (including the subareas of social, cognitive, educational, developmental, and clinical psychology), sociology, criminal justice, social work, and the psychobiological sciences (clinical neuroscience, applied biopsychology, behavioral neuroscience). Second, the faculty are all experienced and productive researchers. All are actively involved in relevant research endeavors, and the majority are serving as Principal Investigator (PI) on federally-funded projects. Third, RIA provides a variety of supports requisite to the research training enterprise, including a specialized library, a state-of-the-art computer center, an animal care facility and associated laboratories, laboratories for human studies, and an outpatient clinical research treatment center. The faculty provides training for six postdoctoral fellows. Trainees are assigned both a primary and secondary mentor, based on their research interests. The mentors provide training in conceptualization, methodology, and ethics of research in the trainee's primary area of study. The program also includes several required seminar components: Foundations of Interdisciplinary Alcohol Research, Professional Issues and Career Development, and Grant Writing. Trainees meet semi-annually with the Training Grant Supervisory Committee and attend RIA's Seminar Series, which includes statistics workshops.
;The negative social, health, and economic consequences of alcohol misuse are profound. As such, there is a need to train a new generation of researchers to further study the etiology and course of alcohol use and misuse and to develop and evaluate effective treatment interventions. This program provides postdoctoral trainees with the specialized training required to pursue such endeavors.
Showing the most recent 10 out of 92 publications
