This is a renewal application for an interdisciplinary Drug Abuse Research Training Program titled ?Training in PharmacoNeuroimmunology (PNI) Substance Abuse Research? (T32 DA007097-34). The PNI Training Program meets a well-recognized need to train biomedical scientists at the pre- and postdoctoral levels in an interdisciplinary and translational 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. The program has trained 48 predoctoral and 35 postdoctoral (83 total) in the past 15 years. These individuals hold influential positions in academia, government, and industry. Our 39 primary faculty preceptors are a talented group of laboratory based and clinical scientists working at these intersections of disciplines. Our well-funded faculty preceptors have extensive experience as mentors and are committed to training predoctoral students and postdoctoral fellows in this interdisciplinary setting. To fulfill our training mission with our available resources, we are requesting funding for 10 predoctoral and 5 postdoctoral slots. All of the elements of a successful training program are in place and are functioning efficiently and effectively: a formal curricula, including the two core courses in Neuro-immune Interactions and Neuropsychopharmacology and two colloquium in Substance Abuse at the Bedside and HIV/AIDS: Pathogenesis, Treatment, and Prevention. Additional critical training activities include a bimonthly seminar series, a research-in-progress symposium, and a yearly retreat. The new expanded PNI training components in this application include: a) adding 13 new faculty as preceptors; b) developing online learning modules for use by program trainees and undergraduate students participating in the linked summer research program for students of diversity; c) developing a unique research rigor training component; and d) developing a training experience for postdoctoral fellows focused on nonacademic positions. The PNI training program is further enhanced by the University of Minnesota strong initiative to highlight translational research, (Center for Translational Research) and the designation of Addiction as one major research priority by the AHC, University of Minnesota evidenced by the establishment of Minnesota Center for Addiction Neuroscience MNCAN. The emphasized commitment to addiction research as a priority, and the long standing history of research funding to investigators by NIDA provide additional evidence of a rich environment for the training of pre and postdoctoral research fellows in substance abuse research.
Public Health Relevance
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.
