This is a resubmitted application for renewal of an interdisciplinary Drug Abuse Research Training Program, entitled Training in Neuroimmune/Neurobehavior Addiction Research (T32 DA007097-25). This training program has operated for the past 5 years and combines the strengths of two NIDA-funded programs at the University of Minnesota: Training in Drug Abuse and Neurobehavioral Pharmacology (T32 DA07097-20) and Training in PNI and Substance Abuse (T32 DA07239-10). The combined training program meets a well-recognized need to train biomedical scientists at the pre- and postdoctoral levels in an interdisciplinary field that focuses on the interactions of drugs of abuse with the nervous and immune systems, and integrates our understanding of these physiological interactions with their behavioral counterparts. A critical component of the training program considers the role of drugs of abuse as co-factors in HIV/AIDS, specifically relating to NeuroAIDS. Former trainees now hold influential positions in academia, government, and industry. Our 25 faculty primary trainers are a talented group of neuroscientists, psychologists, pharmacologists, immunologists, and microbiologists at the University of Minnesota and affiliated institutions. Across these disciplines we have both laboratory-based scientists and clinical faculty, allowing the program to attract outstanding trainees. The well-funded primary training faculty has extensive experience as mentors and is committed to training predoctoral students and postdoctoral fellows in this interdisciplinary setting. We also have co-mentors with selected expertise that will provide training components and assist in the mentorship of the trainees. To fulfill our training mission with our available resources, we request 10 predoctoral and 5 postdoctoral positions. All of the elements of a successful training program are in place and are functioning well: a formal predoctoral curriculum, including courses in neuro-immune interactions and neuropsychopharmacology;a bimonthly seminar series;and, most importantly, linkages established, collegial, and creative relationships among the faculty across the relevant disciplines. Since the last submission, we have built on our accumulated experience and added two components that will further strengthen our trainees'interdisciplinary translational research experiences: 1) a clinical course on """"""""Substance Abuse to the Bedside"""""""" that focuses on heroin, cocaine/ methamphetamine, nicotine, and the medical complications of addictions, including complications from AIDS, and 2) a new colloquium on """"""""HIV/AIDS: Pathogenesis, Treatment, and Prevention"""""""" led by clinical faculty who deal directly with AIDS patients. (Lay summary) This is a competitive renewal for an interdisciplinary training program at the University of Minnesota that focuses on the interactions of drugs of abuse with the nervous and immune systems, and integrates our understanding of these physiological interactions with their behavioral counterparts, including the role of drugs of abuse as co-factors in HIV/AIDS. To fulfill our training mission, 10 predoctoral and 5 postdoctoral positions are requested.
Showing the most recent 10 out of 261 publications
